Why Eurostar trains built to link Manchester to Paris permanently hit the buffers

Trains were constructed and new track even laid to link cities across the North, Scotland, and Wales to the Channel Tunnel, writes Jon Stone. But the plans fell at the last hurdle

One advert for north of London services likened international rail travel to the Tube network (Getlink)

Britain once had big plans for a sprawling network of rail services that would link Scotland, Wales and the north of England directly through the Channel Tunnel to the continent.

It was a striking vision of the future, which came close to becoming reality. Trains were built, sections of tracks constructed, and even timetables planned.

But despite being practically ready to go, the “north of London” Eurostar services never ran – the plan was killed off by a combination of politics and economics.