:00:00. > 3:59:59weekend. That's all from us. Now the news
:00:00. > :00:00.where you are. Good evening.
:00:00. > :00:10.Welcome to North West Tonight with Annabel Tiffin and Roger Johnson.
:00:11. > :00:20.Our top story: Speed up HS2. The Transport Secretary tells us he
:00:21. > :00:24.wants it built here sooner. A lot of people would like it to be speeded
:00:25. > :00:30.up. I would as well. But we have to go through the proper process. I am
:00:31. > :00:33.at Manchester Piccadilly where the Transport Secretary arrive get
:00:34. > :00:36.saying that high`speed rail will benefit the North of England more
:00:37. > :00:39.than the south. It sounds like a political fight back.
:00:40. > :00:44.The fifth report justifying the scheme was published today. We
:00:45. > :00:52.travel to France to see the impact of high`speed rail there. While
:00:53. > :00:56.closer to home. The government says it is not just
:00:57. > :01:01.about quick train times to London and back again, it is about freeing
:01:02. > :01:04.up the nation's roads. Is our business community convinced?
:01:05. > :01:07.Also in this evening's programme: Thieves target the most dangerous
:01:08. > :01:11.weapons, as they steal semiautomatic guns from a shooting school.
:01:12. > :01:15.And finding spirituality in the patron saint of lost things.
:01:16. > :01:17.Hundreds of Catholics queue to see the remains of a 13th century
:01:18. > :01:33.priest. It will benefit the North more than
:01:34. > :01:37.the South and rebalance the economy. That was the Transport Secretary's
:01:38. > :01:41.promise for HS2 today. In Manchester for the National Rail Conference. A
:01:42. > :01:45.patch and mend job on our railways, he said, will not do ` the only
:01:46. > :01:49.option is a new North/South link. It is a project that hopes to bring
:01:50. > :01:52.the country together and yet rarely has something divided opinion quite
:01:53. > :01:55.so much. Today the government published its fifth business case `
:01:56. > :01:57.to justify a 250mph railway linking London to Manchester, Leeds,
:01:58. > :02:05.Birmingham and Sheffield in two phases.
:02:06. > :02:08.It will cost ?42.6 billion. But for every pound spent, the government
:02:09. > :02:17.estimates it will now produce an economic benefit of ?2.30 ` down
:02:18. > :02:21.from ?2.50. That will equate to a fall in revenue of almost ?9billion.
:02:22. > :02:24.But will it do what it promises ` or instead be the waste of money many
:02:25. > :02:32.fear? Our Political Editor Arif Ansari has been at the rail
:02:33. > :02:35.conference. He joins us live from Manchester's Piccadilly station Was
:02:36. > :02:43.this the latest attempt to win over the doubters, Arif? To some extent,
:02:44. > :02:46.it is. The government would never call it a political fight back, but
:02:47. > :02:50.essentially that is what it was They are frustrated that they are
:02:51. > :02:54.offering billions of pounds of infrastructure to be the economy and
:02:55. > :03:00.yet it is the anti`campaign that has had so much of the initiative. Today
:03:01. > :03:03.we are being reminded that high`speed rail is not all about
:03:04. > :03:07.high`speed, it is also about capacity, the economy and jobs and
:03:08. > :03:11.the Transport Secretary, who we will hear from later, reminding us that
:03:12. > :03:14.they believe it will benefit the North of England more than the
:03:15. > :03:17.south. Thank you. More from Arif at Piccadilly Station later. But we
:03:18. > :03:21.have three reports tonight. Judy Hobson has been to France to see the
:03:22. > :03:23.impact of high`speed rail there Jayne McCubbin's been asking if
:03:24. > :03:27.people in Wigan believe the business case. And Stuart Flinders looks to
:03:28. > :03:37.the past to see if history has any lessons. The first of those pieces
:03:38. > :03:41.now from the French town of Rheims. This the French city where they used
:03:42. > :03:45.to crown their kings, Reims ` famous for champagne ` lies 80 miles east
:03:46. > :03:52.of Paris. It used to take around two hours to reach the capital by train.
:03:53. > :03:55.But not any more. With a top speed of 190mph, this is France's
:03:56. > :03:59.high`speed rail network. Which means Riems is now just 45 minutes from
:04:00. > :04:03.Paris. France first invested in high`speed rail in 1976, to link the
:04:04. > :04:10.main cities to the capital in order to boost the economy and create
:04:11. > :04:19.jobs. So has it worked? In Reims, I meet the man whose job it is to
:04:20. > :04:23.bring business here. Since high`speed rail, he says, 140 new
:04:24. > :04:29.companies have set up here ` creating 5000 jobs. But how much is
:04:30. > :04:34.down to the TGV? Thanks to the TGV, you can play in the Premier League
:04:35. > :04:37.but you do not have the guarantee that you will win the championship.
:04:38. > :04:46.You have to invest in new universities, new high schools, but
:04:47. > :04:51.also in new theatres and stadiums. That is exactly what they say
:04:52. > :04:55.they've done here. The tourism industry is celebrating too ` it's
:04:56. > :05:02.grown year on year since the rail link was built. It is easy for the
:05:03. > :05:10.tourism because usually they come to Paris directly by aeroplane. But it
:05:11. > :05:15.is 45 minute with the TGV. So they can come for the afternoon or just a
:05:16. > :05:18.few hours. The fear was that high`speed rail will draw talent
:05:19. > :05:21.from the regions to Paris. Today, just 1000 people commute to the
:05:22. > :05:26.capital ` just 1% of the working population. Business owners tell me
:05:27. > :05:33.that's been a good thing. Very good for tourists. Good for business A
:05:34. > :05:40.lot of people live this in Reims and lives in Paris cos it is expensive
:05:41. > :05:47.to live in Paris. `` a lot of people live in Reims but working Paris But
:05:48. > :05:49.there's one major difference between France and England ` the cost.
:05:50. > :05:53.France's high`speed track costs around ?9 million per mile. Compare
:05:54. > :05:56.that to Germany, where it costs ?22 million per mile. Spain's is ?3
:05:57. > :06:01.million. While here in the UK, we're told a mile of track for HS2 could
:06:02. > :06:04.cost as much as ?129 million per mile. We have spent 38 billion Euros
:06:05. > :06:09.on the line and benefited economically by 80 billion. But he
:06:10. > :06:18.says towns without high`speed rail have missed out. They see the
:06:19. > :06:25.difference between them and the other city which are already served
:06:26. > :06:29.by high`speed rail, they remain in the same status as they did 20 or 30
:06:30. > :06:32.years ago. Cities in the North West, like Liverpool, are concerned they
:06:33. > :06:35.too will be left behind. While Cheshire fears it will pay the
:06:36. > :06:38.environmental cost. Here in France, concerns about the environment
:06:39. > :06:42.haven't been as high up the agenda ` because it's a bigger country and
:06:43. > :06:48.less populated. The bottom line for the UK is whether the benefits
:06:49. > :06:52.outweigh the costs. We're unlikely to see trains like
:06:53. > :06:58.those here in the North West before 2032. It'll take nine years to build
:06:59. > :07:00.our route north of Birmingham. And here's where it's coming.
:07:01. > :07:04.Entering south Cheshire and passing under Crewe in a tunnel. It moves
:07:05. > :07:08.north ` alongside the existing West Coast Main Line at times ` bisecting
:07:09. > :07:12.Winsford and Middlewich. The line moves up to the west of
:07:13. > :07:15.Knutsford before it splits. The eastern branch heads off towards a
:07:16. > :07:19.stop at Manchester Airport before entering a tunnel under Wythenshawe,
:07:20. > :07:23.all the way to Piccadilly Station. To the west, it moves on up through
:07:24. > :07:26.the countryside, passing Lymm and villages like Culcheth and Lowton
:07:27. > :07:31.before linking up with the West Coast Main Line just south of Wigan.
:07:32. > :07:39.And that's where we find our Economics Correspondent Jayne
:07:40. > :07:43.McCubbin. Do the businesses there believe the business case for HS2?
:07:44. > :07:46.Vital boost for the economy or a white elephant charging through the
:07:47. > :07:56.country, eating up tens of billions of pounds? I'm heading to Wigan to
:07:57. > :08:00.see the economic case there. This isn't just about quick train travel
:08:01. > :08:05.between London and the North. It is about freeing up the clogged
:08:06. > :08:08.motorways and roads, shifting some of this off the motorways and
:08:09. > :08:12.sticking it on to existing rail lines that are grinding to a halt.
:08:13. > :08:16.That is the government case. So our first stop ` a freight park in
:08:17. > :08:22.Haydock, where they're unconvinced. All it will do is move congestion
:08:23. > :08:30.from one region down south. You do not buy this business argument at
:08:31. > :08:36.all? Not for ?50 billion. No. My main issue is, if for example the
:08:37. > :08:41.journey time to London a shorter, we will lose our local labour. Terms of
:08:42. > :08:44.the amount of money they are spending, it is genuinely for
:08:45. > :08:47.connectivity. Perhaps faster broadband is more useful. If
:08:48. > :08:51.businesses haven't caught the wave of enthusiasm, have council leaders?
:08:52. > :08:57.And bear in mind this council leader is a Labour leader. Why are you so
:08:58. > :09:01.firmly behind this when there is a belief that your party is backing
:09:02. > :09:08.away? I was in France. They are building more. They are building a
:09:09. > :09:15.line and we are still talking about it. What is wrong with us as a
:09:16. > :09:17.country? It is too expensive. It is expensive, but the long`term
:09:18. > :09:22.benefits, which every other country in Europe can see, we will be left
:09:23. > :09:25.behind. A recent study said HS2 could boost the UK's economy by ?15
:09:26. > :09:30.billion. For Wigan, a potential boost of ?81 million. But it also
:09:31. > :09:34.estimated losers. Towns not on the route. Lancaster ` ?45million.
:09:35. > :09:38.Chester Ellesmere Port ` ?29 million. HS2 might be capable of
:09:39. > :09:41.shifting people and freight. It could also shift investment. 90 of
:09:42. > :09:50.the properties Debra sells are along the planned route. She says it's
:09:51. > :09:54.already costing sales. The exact words were, if HS2 does not go
:09:55. > :09:59.ahead, we will buy it but at the moment we cannot commit. This is
:10:00. > :10:04.something that is a guide only. It is people's perceptions. With so
:10:05. > :10:11.many conflicting arguments for and against, the unknown is the only
:10:12. > :10:15.thing we have. Let's go back now to our political
:10:16. > :10:18.editor Arif Ansari, who has spent the day at the National Rail
:10:19. > :10:21.Conference in Manchester ` he's at Piccadilly Station this evening
:10:22. > :10:24.We should not make the mistake that there is not any opposition to this
:10:25. > :10:28.in the north`west. Absolutely. That is right. The reality is, if your
:10:29. > :10:32.back garden is about to be torn up, it does not matter whether you are
:10:33. > :10:35.in Cheshire or Oxfordshire, you re not going to be happy about the
:10:36. > :10:40.idea. Today outside the comp as there was a small group of
:10:41. > :10:44.campaigners mainly from Cheshire but further afield as well who were
:10:45. > :10:47.certainly against the idea. One of them spoke to me and told me
:10:48. > :10:53.high`speed rail is better suited to European countries where cities are
:10:54. > :10:57.further apart. We are not a country like that. We have communities all
:10:58. > :11:02.over the country and many of those are going to lose out in a variety
:11:03. > :11:07.of ways thanks to HS2. Including parts of Greater Manchester because
:11:08. > :11:14.Stockport and Winslow are going to get big reductions in their rail
:11:15. > :11:17.services to London. The reality is, the government has been somewhat on
:11:18. > :11:22.the back foot over high`speed rail. Certainly when the arguments began
:11:23. > :11:26.some of the figures were picked over and pulled apart. Some of the
:11:27. > :11:29.arguments were severely challenged. Today Patrick McLoughlin has been
:11:30. > :11:34.trying to regain the initiative on that and when he arrived here
:11:35. > :11:37.earlier, I spoke to him and began by asking him why high`speed rail with
:11:38. > :11:45.benefit the North of England more than the south. Because it as
:11:46. > :11:48.drastically to the capacity. It is not just me that believes it, if you
:11:49. > :11:52.talk to the leader of Manchester City Council, you talk to the leader
:11:53. > :11:58.of Leeds City Council or Birmingham, they all agree. The idea that
:11:59. > :12:02.somehow high`speed would suck more jobs into the south is not something
:12:03. > :12:06.that the leader of Manchester City Council says and it is not something
:12:07. > :12:11.I believe. Why did you not go with the idea that came out of one of the
:12:12. > :12:14.research organisations, suggesting building the line from Manchester to
:12:15. > :12:20.Birmingham burst and then connecting to London? I inherited the plan that
:12:21. > :12:25.the last Labour government gave us which was starting in London. We are
:12:26. > :12:32.consulting on the line from Birmingham to Manchester. It would
:12:33. > :12:35.delay the project even more. I understand the desire for a faster
:12:36. > :12:43.building of the line and it is one of the things that I will be talking
:12:44. > :12:47.about with the chairman of HS2. You are keen to speed up the northern
:12:48. > :12:51.part of the building? A lot of people would like it to be speeded
:12:52. > :12:57.up. I would. We have to go through the proper process. At the moment we
:12:58. > :13:01.are consulting, the consultation is a live consultation and I cannot
:13:02. > :13:04.prejudge that at the moment. We have been in France where they have lots
:13:05. > :13:10.of high`speed rail. It has boosted the economy. But one thing is,
:13:11. > :13:13.cities that have not been connected to high`speed rail, or equivalent
:13:14. > :13:17.being Liverpool, they say that to some extent they are being stuck in
:13:18. > :13:23.the past. Is that a danger? I don't think so. I want to watch and make
:13:24. > :13:27.sure that does not happen. You is a point to remember, once you get
:13:28. > :13:30.high`speed trains to Birmingham they carry on, they carry on to
:13:31. > :13:35.Manchester and Liverpool. So that is very important. Indeed, the Mayor of
:13:36. > :13:41.Liverpool is one of the supporters for high`speed trains. That was
:13:42. > :13:45.Patrick McLoughlin, the Transport Secretary speaking to me earlier. So
:13:46. > :13:50.where does this lately even high`speed rail? Certainly there is
:13:51. > :13:53.a lot of scepticism and a lot of opponents and people who do not
:13:54. > :13:58.believe it will be dealt, but the message coming from today's
:13:59. > :14:04.conference was that it will be built and it will be built on budget.
:14:05. > :14:07.Thank you very much. It is a subject that does divide opinion. What do
:14:08. > :14:11.you think? E`mail us ` or get in touch via Facebook or Twitter. Is
:14:12. > :14:14.HS2 value for money? Do you think it will help bridge the North/South
:14:15. > :14:20.divide? How will it affect you and where you live?
:14:21. > :14:23.We don't need to ask for comments. We already have many of them. We'll
:14:24. > :14:27.return to the subject of HS2 later in the programme ` with some of your
:14:28. > :14:29.comments ` and Stuart Flinders will be looking at the lessons from
:14:30. > :14:32.history. A full review of security at a
:14:33. > :14:35.Lancashire shooting club is underway after 17 semiautomatic shotguns were
:14:36. > :14:39.stolen. Detectives say the gang knew exactly
:14:40. > :14:42.what they were looking for. They're now liaising with colleagues in
:14:43. > :14:46.neighbouring forces to try and trace the missing firearms. Our Chief
:14:47. > :14:49.Reporter, Dave Guest, has the story. They've been shooting at Kelbrook
:14:50. > :14:55.Lodge just outside Colne for more than 100 years. Originally a retreat
:14:56. > :14:58.for the wealthy to enjoy shooting weekends, it's now a specialist
:14:59. > :15:03.training centre where clay pigeons are now the target. But this place
:15:04. > :15:07.was targeted by thieves last Thursday night. They broke into the
:15:08. > :15:17.secure storage area and stole 1 guns. They were all semiautomatic
:15:18. > :15:20.and in the wrong hands, we are concerned that they could cause some
:15:21. > :15:26.injury and serious harm. It's a remote spot, surrounded by
:15:27. > :15:30.countryside. I have been in the gun business since 1972 and this is the
:15:31. > :15:34.first issue we have ever had with any guns being stolen. Have you
:15:35. > :15:40.reviewed your security arrangements? Yes. We have police approval up to
:15:41. > :15:46.the burglary, we have now looked at our system and upgraded. In their
:15:47. > :15:50.haste, the thieves dropped one of the guns. It was found by a member
:15:51. > :15:55.of the public about a quarter of a mile from here but that still leaves
:15:56. > :15:57.69 accounted for. Lancashire Police say they are liaising with
:15:58. > :16:08.neighbouring forces because they want to trace these guns as quickly
:16:09. > :16:12.as possible. Police investigating the death of a five`year`old boy who
:16:13. > :16:16.was knocked down and killed by a car in Manchester ten years ago have
:16:17. > :16:19.made three arrests. It follows a public appeal earlier this year to
:16:20. > :16:24.mark the anniversary of Sam Walker's death. They include two men ` aged
:16:25. > :16:27.31 and 33 ` and a 56`year old woman. The original investigation team
:16:28. > :16:31.described a wall of silence that they faced. I can safely say that
:16:32. > :16:36.that wall of silence is falling apart brick by brick. The people of
:16:37. > :16:39.this town can hardly want this to be brought to an end and have started
:16:40. > :16:45.coming forward with information I want that to continue.
:16:46. > :16:49.The family of a 14`year`old boy from Cheshire ` feared dead after being
:16:50. > :16:52.swept away in the storms ` say he was "just a typical teenager." Dylan
:16:53. > :16:56.Alkins ` originally from Neston ` was caught by a wave on the beach in
:16:57. > :17:03.East Sussex on Sunday. Rescuers are continuing their search for him
:17:04. > :17:06.And in the next half an hour, John Lennon's childhood home will be sold
:17:07. > :17:09.at auction. It's going under the hammer at The Cavern Club in
:17:10. > :17:12.Liverpool. The terrace on Newcastle Road in Wavertree is where the
:17:13. > :17:16.Beatles star lived with his parents until he was five. The three`bedroom
:17:17. > :17:18.house is expected to fetch up to ?250,000.
:17:19. > :17:21.Hundreds of people packed a Catholic Church in Trafford today to see the
:17:22. > :17:25.remains of a 13th century Franciscan monk.
:17:26. > :17:28.St Anthony of Padua is, famously, the saint Catholics over the
:17:29. > :17:33.centuries have prayed to if they've lost something or someone. The
:17:34. > :17:39.relics are being taken on a tour of churches in the region. Our reporter
:17:40. > :17:43.Ian Haslam went to take a look. He might be the patron saint people
:17:44. > :17:47.look to for help in finding things ` but as All Saints Friary in Urmston
:17:48. > :17:50.started to fill this morning, concern was growing as to St
:17:51. > :17:55.Anthony's whereabouts. He is having a joke. He is testing your faith.
:17:56. > :17:58.How right she was ` the relics may have been slightly delayed in
:17:59. > :18:01.arriving, but for the hundreds of people inside, the chance to see
:18:02. > :18:04.them was well worth the wait. Venerating relics is a longstanding
:18:05. > :18:08.Catholic tradition that many believe will help bring them closer to God.
:18:09. > :18:11.A renowned 13th century priest, St Anthony of Padua was made a saint
:18:12. > :18:15.shortly after his death for his preaching. The relics include a
:18:16. > :18:22.small piece of bone and a layer of his cheek. When people come here,
:18:23. > :18:28.they feel that they have a kind of connection with Saint Anthony. They
:18:29. > :18:32.know very well that these are parts of the person who died over 800
:18:33. > :18:40.years ago. Once you place your hands on it, it is a sense of calm and
:18:41. > :18:50.spirituality comes on you. `` comes up on you. Today is Saint Anthony 's
:18:51. > :18:54.day and we are lucky to have him here, bringing people closer
:18:55. > :18:59.together. You can see it from the atmosphere that it is prayerful
:19:00. > :19:02.This is not the last chance people in the North West will have to see
:19:03. > :19:10.the relics. The relics move on to Liverpool tomorrow to the Church of
:19:11. > :19:13.St Anthony of Padua. Sport now, it's the Capital One Cup
:19:14. > :19:17.tonight and Manchester United could hand a start to Wilfried Zaha, as
:19:18. > :19:20.they face Norwich at Old Trafford looking for a place in the last
:19:21. > :19:23.eight. And hopes are high in East
:19:24. > :19:31.Lancashire that Burnley could also make the quarter finals. They face
:19:32. > :19:51.West Ham at Turf Moor. There is an echo around Turf Moor,
:19:52. > :19:58.an echo of 2009, the year that brought a famous cup run. The Turf
:19:59. > :20:06.Moor stands and applause what has been a monumental effort. 2009 also
:20:07. > :20:13.brought promotion. So this season, could they do it again? I think we
:20:14. > :20:17.are better now than we were then. Totally unexpected after Charlie
:20:18. > :20:24.went in the close season. We are doing all right. The veteran of the
:20:25. > :20:28.2019, Graham Alexander, has since signed up to manage lead to
:20:29. > :20:37.Fleetwood and is now chasing his own promotion. We have got a decent
:20:38. > :20:41.points tally. We had a couple of defeats. We should have at least got
:20:42. > :20:49.a draw or some wins. He still has one eye on Burnley. You are seeing
:20:50. > :20:52.shades of 2009. We did not start off that great. We had two points after
:20:53. > :20:58.four games that we did not have the blazing start that Birmingham have
:20:59. > :21:05.had this time but they are on a very small budget, they will not be
:21:06. > :21:14.worried about it if the end result is good. That would mean another
:21:15. > :21:16.vintage season for the team. Warrington Wolves have announced a
:21:17. > :21:20.four year sponsorship deal with Emirates Airlines, in what's being
:21:21. > :21:22.seen as one of the most significant deals in recent Rugby League
:21:23. > :21:26.history. Emirates already sponsor some of the biggest names in world
:21:27. > :21:29.football ` Real Madrid, Paris St Germain and Arsenal. They also
:21:30. > :21:32.sponsor Lancashire Cricket Club Back to football, sir Alex Ferguson
:21:33. > :21:39.has been nominated for coach of the year by UEFA. Robin van Persie, Yaya
:21:40. > :21:47.Toure and Lewis Suarez are also short listed for the trophy.
:21:48. > :21:50.Back to our main story tonight: HS2. Before that, of course, there was
:21:51. > :21:56.HS1 ` the high`speed link between London and the Channel Tunnel. And
:21:57. > :21:58.before that? The world's first high`speed train
:21:59. > :22:02.travelled between Manchester and Liverpool nearly two centuries ago.
:22:03. > :22:06.And many of the arguments now used against HS2 were used against that
:22:07. > :22:21.line all those years ago. Stuart Flinders reports.
:22:22. > :22:25.Romantic, picturesque, the age of steam. But that is not have it
:22:26. > :22:27.seemed when the world's first purpose`built passenger railway
:22:28. > :22:40.opened between Manchester and Liverpool in 1830. Those trains were
:22:41. > :22:52.travelling at 25 mph which is hardly HS2. But for the 1830s, that was
:22:53. > :22:59.high`speed. Let's call the Liverpool to Manchester Lane HS zero. Most
:23:00. > :23:07.people would have only travelled as fast as a horse could take them so
:23:08. > :23:18.you have gone from ten mph to 2 mph by this steaming monster. So it
:23:19. > :23:21.would be very frightening. The Manchester terror menace on HS
:23:22. > :23:25.zero is now part of the Museum of science and industry. They have made
:23:26. > :23:36.a replica of one of the early engines. The parallels with HS2 are
:23:37. > :23:40.remarkable. There was strong opposition from the landowners to
:23:41. > :23:45.the original route of the Liverpool and Manchester Railway. The rate was
:23:46. > :23:50.changed. The rich that we now see today and travel on is in fact more
:23:51. > :24:04.southerly. `` the route. Dare I say it is more expensive. And, as with
:24:05. > :24:08.HS2, the question, do we need it? Most of the opposition apart from
:24:09. > :24:11.the landowners came from the existing transport operators. The
:24:12. > :24:14.three canal systems that ran between Liverpool and Manchester had a
:24:15. > :24:18.virtual monopoly of the traffic and the object it very strongly indeed
:24:19. > :24:24.to the railway being opened and said there was no need for the railway to
:24:25. > :24:31.be built. HS0, a lesson from history for HS2.
:24:32. > :24:38.Shirt got the best job, travelling in style! `` Stewart got the best
:24:39. > :24:44.job. First, we have got the weather.
:24:45. > :24:47.It is a bit quieter today. Hello. After all the excitement of
:24:48. > :24:53.yesterday, the weather is back to normal. Having said that, it is
:24:54. > :24:56.still fairly unsettled for the week ahead. We are going to see showers
:24:57. > :25:00.from time to time and it is not going to be a particularly warm for
:25:01. > :25:04.the week ahead. Today was really quite cold outdoors. The
:25:05. > :25:08.temperatures struggled to hit double figures. Ten or 11 Celsius today,
:25:09. > :25:15.for the rest of the week the temperatures continue to struggle.
:25:16. > :25:17.For tonight, we are going to see a few more showers through this
:25:18. > :25:20.evening but you can see the showers are beginning to fade away
:25:21. > :25:25.overnight. The cloud also fading away. We are going to see lots of
:25:26. > :25:32.clear skies tonight, underneath it will be a chilly night. Temperatures
:25:33. > :25:36.in parts of Cumbria, rural parts of Cumbria, and in parts of Cheshire,
:25:37. > :25:40.will drop fairly close to freezing so we could see a touch of grass
:25:41. > :25:46.frost tomorrow morning. Tomorrow it starts off decent. Then it will turn
:25:47. > :25:49.wet and windy later, so a chilly start because of the frost but you
:25:50. > :25:55.can see clear skies as well. Rates spells through the morning. A fair
:25:56. > :26:01.amount of sunshine and showers. In the afternoon, that band of rain a
:26:02. > :26:06.year then. `` that band of rain eases in. You could see rain in
:26:07. > :26:11.Greater Manchester in the late afternoon and the winds will pick up
:26:12. > :26:15.as well. In terms of temperature, it is not particularly warm, 12 or 13
:26:16. > :26:18.Celsius. The rain eases away tomorrow night as we head into
:26:19. > :26:23.Thursday. It is more of the same, maybe not quite as wet, it will be
:26:24. > :26:27.unsettled. You will see a lot of showers and between the sunshine.
:26:28. > :26:31.Ten or 11 Celsius so it is still not particularly warm. As we head into
:26:32. > :26:34.the weekend, you can see for Friday it is not looking too bad but the
:26:35. > :26:40.weekend yet again will be unsettled. Back to you two.
:26:41. > :26:44.Thank you. We are looking at the e`mails we have received. I
:26:45. > :26:48.apologise, we cannot get through them all. One man said that he
:26:49. > :26:52.doubts any government would back a project that benefited the North
:26:53. > :26:57.more than the south. One man said it is a toy for the
:26:58. > :27:01.rich paid for by the poor, causing massive environmental damage.
:27:02. > :27:07.One`man support to HS2, although he said it needs to support Liverpool,
:27:08. > :27:11.Newcastle and Sheffield. For years we grumbled we were behind
:27:12. > :27:16.our continental neighbours. Now we are doing something to catch up and
:27:17. > :27:20.people are still complaining. The line from London to Birmingham
:27:21. > :27:25.will be built. Ivan says it is fantastic news for
:27:26. > :27:29.the region, let's hope the complainers grow up and get over it.
:27:30. > :27:33.Stephen said this is considered an expensive project. How much would
:27:34. > :27:38.the end 25 have cost if it was starting construction now? `` the
:27:39. > :27:45.M25. That is it from us. Good night.