Protesters threaten to derail high-speed line

[Aurora]

The Independent - 27/02/11

The creation of a high-speed rail network could be worth £44bn over 60 years to the economy, ministers claim today as they launch a major "hearts and minds" campaign to counter public opposition which could threaten the entire project.

To supporters, high-speed rail will cut journey times, narrow the north-south divide and create thousands of jobs in the construction and engineering industries. To critics, it will carve a deep wound through the heart of rural England, demolishing historic monuments and buildings and wasting billions of pounds in public money that will never be recouped from ticket sales.

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