THE government is expected to approve the HS2 scheme today (Tuesday)
Transport Secretary Justine Greening is expected to make the announcement in the House of Commons this afternoon, although some sources suggest the decision will be flagged up in the morning, with a formal statement later.
If accurate, this would represent a bitter blow to residents in and around Ruislip, Ickenham and Harefield where part of the 250mph railway from London to Birmingham would be built if it went ahead.
Ruislip Against HS2, a campaign group formed a year ago this month, is due to welcome London mayor Boris Johnson to Almond Close on Wednesday morning to show him the impact the railway would have.
But by then it might already be too late to stop it.
Opponents locally were hoping that Ms Greening's delay of her announcement in December signalled that the Department for Transport was re-examining parts of the route and maybe the entire project itself.
Numerous economic assessments in 2011 from independent sources criticised the government's business case, while a nationwide poll released last month showed that two-thirds of the British public disapproved of HS2.
For all the latest developments and reaction check the Gazette website, plus our full coverage in tommorow's (Wednesday) edition of the paper.
