Tom Tugendhat, member of the Conservative Party, recently suggested that the public can look forward to benefitting from a 'gigantic' expansion of HS2 by the 2040s.

While when Tom spoke to the BBC live on air it was not immediately clear if the promise to expand the HS2 track all the way to Scotland - when currently it will end in the East Midlands and Manchester - was a slip of the tongue or intentional.

The controversial Y-shaped line is meant to reach Manchester and the East Midlands by the 2040s, with trains continuing further north on existing track.

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I would make sure the HS2 tracks went all the way to Scotland.

Tom Tugendhat
Conservative MP

That would be a major reworking of the railway, after Tory ministers axed plans for the eastern leg to continue to Leeds just months ago.

Ministers have also already ditched a 13-mile, £2bn stretch of track - the Golborne Link - which would have connected the HS2 line to the West Coast Main Line to Glasgow.

According to the Daily Mirror, a campaign source played down his promise, saying his point was Brits need to be thinking about how to use infrastructure to boost growth.

They added: “Tom is steadfastly committed to the Union. As part of his ten year plan for growth he will explore all infrastructure options for better connecting all parts of the UK.