News > UK > UK Politics SNP fury as HS2 finds 'no business case' for taking fast train service to Scotland -- * An HS2 train crosses a viaduct near Birmingham, in this artist’s impression ( PA ) The £50bn High Speed Two rail link will not be extended to Scotland, as the team behind the project has found there is “no business case” for the undertaking. -- describing it as a “snub” to Scotland that ignored the “undeniable economic case” of a new railway linking London to Glasgow and Edinburgh. When the then Transport secretary Lord Adonis launched HS2 in 2009, he claimed it would be “the union railway, uniting England and Scotland, north and south, richer and poorer parts of our country, sharing wealth and opportunity”. But HS2 is currently focused on reducing journey times from London to Birmingham to 49 minutes, before it splits into lines to Manchester and Leeds over two phases. However, it was hoped that HS2 would still ultimately reach Scotland, so commuters could travel from Glasgow and Edinburgh to London in three hours, against about four-and-a-half hours -- news as a “snub” to Scotland (Getty) A team at HS2 Ltd, the official organisation behind the project, is working on a fresh report into speeding up train times between the capital and Scotland, to be presented to its board later this year. A source said that this team has moved on from the idea of extending HS2, to “enhancements” on existing lines. An engineering industry source also confirmed that an extension was no longer viewed as a tenable option. Sir David Higgins, HS2 Ltd’s chairman, has previously hinted that an earlier report into the idea had found that enhancing existing lines was “more realistic”, but that no definitive conclusion had been -- * SNP unveils its Westminster frontbench team Hopes have also been dashed that a proposal to link HS2 with the High Speed One railway from London to the Kent coast – the Channel Tunnel Rail Link – could be revived. -- time-consuming route changes. The HS2 source said: “There are two things to know about HS2. One, it will terminate at Euston; two, it will not link up with HS1 or Scotland. HS2 is now looking at enhancements and there may be the odd bit of new track here and there, to reduce journey times between Scotland and London. There’s no business case.” -- Update newsletter preferences Created with Sketch. Tom Jeffreys: walking the HS2 line Show all 11 -- (BUTTON) Created with Sketch. Tom Jeffreys: walking the HS2 line 1/11 The proposed route of HS2 “My journey begins at Euston station, 8am” Tom Jeffreys 2/11 The proposed route of HS2 “There are plenty of strange looks as I set off, rucksack on and -- Tom Jeffreys 3/11 The proposed route of HS2 “...through the nearby housing estates now scheduled for demolition” Tom Jeffreys 4/11 The proposed route of HS2 “I spot a kingfisher streaking along the Misbourne from Middlesex into -- Tom Jeffreys 5/11 The proposed route of HS2 “Over the ensuing days I walk over golf courses, past Conservative clubs, through garden villages and industrial estates, all the while trying to visualise the passing presence of a high-speed train” Tom Jeffreys 6/11 The proposed route of HS2 “I walk through the rolling Chilterns, cross its fields and motorways” Tom Jeffreys 7/11 The proposed route of HS2 “I walk among ancient woodlands, over battlefields and along disused -- Tom Jeffreys 8/11 The proposed route of HS2 “I give thanks for the village pub, and the village shop.” Tom Jeffreys 9/11 The proposed route of HS2 “I startle foxes and pheasants, steer well clear of fearsome horned -- Tom Jeffreys 10/11 The proposed route of HS2 “I get very wet, and very lost. But above of all, I meet people. “Are -- Tom Jeffreys 11/11 The proposed route of HS2 The line from London to Birmingham 1/11 The proposed route of HS2 “My journey begins at Euston station, 8am” Tom Jeffreys 2/11 The proposed route of HS2 “There are plenty of strange looks as I set off, rucksack on and -- Tom Jeffreys 3/11 The proposed route of HS2 “...through the nearby housing estates now scheduled for demolition” Tom Jeffreys 4/11 The proposed route of HS2 “I spot a kingfisher streaking along the Misbourne from Middlesex into -- Tom Jeffreys 5/11 The proposed route of HS2 “Over the ensuing days I walk over golf courses, past Conservative clubs, through garden villages and industrial estates, all the while trying to visualise the passing presence of a high-speed train” Tom Jeffreys 6/11 The proposed route of HS2 “I walk through the rolling Chilterns, cross its fields and motorways” Tom Jeffreys 7/11 The proposed route of HS2 “I walk among ancient woodlands, over battlefields and along disused -- Tom Jeffreys 8/11 The proposed route of HS2 “I give thanks for the village pub, and the village shop.” Tom Jeffreys 9/11 The proposed route of HS2 “I startle foxes and pheasants, steer well clear of fearsome horned -- Tom Jeffreys 10/11 The proposed route of HS2 “I get very wet, and very lost. But above of all, I meet people. “Are -- Tom Jeffreys 11/11 The proposed route of HS2 The line from London to Birmingham Mr Hendry said that it would be “outrageous if the UK Government planned to snub Scotland on HS2”. The SNP has previously argued that HS2’s construction should actually start in Scotland, rather than in the South. -- defeating the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Danny Alexander, in Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey, added: “Including Scotland in HS2 would be transformative, and not only deliver greater economic and business returns but also maximise environmental benefits. -- benefit their local economies. The SNP has previously argued that HS2’s construction should actually start in Scotland, rather than in the South (Getty) Tim Farron, the Liberal Democrat leadership contender who has called for high-speed railways to be built across the UK, said: “This shows a staggering lack of ambition for the economy of the North.” HS2 Ltd’s board minutes from December show “a further update” on a Scotland link would be handed to the board in six to 12 months. The minutes stated that there had been a presentation on Scotland that had discussed the “development of high speed rail and the enhancement of the existing route, including associated sustainability and environmental issues and topographical and geographical challenges”. An HS2 Ltd spokesman said: “Work on improving the links to Scotland is ongoing.” -- (BUTTON) Created with Sketch. SNP fury as HS2 finds 'no business case' for taking fast train service 1/3 An HS2 train crosses a viaduct near Birmingham, in this artist’s impression PA -- 3/3 The SNP has previously argued that HS2’s construction should actually start in Scotland, rather than in the South Getty