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.
