Rail industry figures and senior politicians have hit back at the National Infrastructure Commission's (NIC's) recommendation that the northern half of High Speed 2 (HS2) be scaled back. Midlands Connect director Maria Machancoses has labelled the NIC's Rail Needs Assessment as “very concerning”. Instead, Machancoses has called for HS2 to be “delivered in its entirety”. “Sacrificing parts of the high speed network now would short change millions of people across the Midlands and undermine our efforts to deliver a transport network fit for the 21 st century,” she said. “HS2 must be delivered in its entirety, including its eastern leg from Birmingham to Leeds, alongside Midlands Engine Rail. To stall, scale down or delay now will cause irreparable economic damage to communities across the region – especially the East Midlands, which has suffered from a chronic underinvestment in infrastructure for decades.”