HighSpeed UK

Its recommended route would follow the M1 motorway corridor northwards out of London, heading up the eastern side of the Pennines towards Edinburgh and Glasgow, roughly following the route of the existing East Coast Main Line.[3][4] The route would use a combination of newly constructed track and updated track on existing lines. Cities in the English Midlands and Northern England would be connected to this line via a series of spurs diverging west, with a branch serving Birmingham and another branch serving Manchester and Liverpool.[5][6] The Manchester branch would be linked to the main HSUK line via a Y-shaped connection which would allow trains also to serve Sheffield and Leeds, covering much of the proposed Northern Powerhouse Rail route.[7]

Here is a map of the proposed route (dedicated High-Speed Rail corridor only):[8]

• 
  Proposed route

The group highlights various points that they believe make it better than proposals for HS2. This includes:

• The cost of HSUK is £20 billion less than current plans for HS2 and HS3.[10]
• 94% of journeys are improved.
• 40% less travel time on average.[11]
• 600 million tonnes of CO₂ reduced.[12]
• The Chilterns are avoided.[13]
• Most work involves improving current infrastructure and restoring old lines, which is cheaper.
• The project is one that integrates new infrastructure with existing infrastructure.[14]
• All principal UK cities are connected.[15]