Why was the entire HS2 line built?

AY Junction was the original form of the line as envisaged in the original plans, a line from London to Birmingham to Manchester and Leeds. The purpose of the original plan was practical – capacity and speed, but also strategic. The UK is a long, lean country that excels in the services sector and connecting these sources of growth will create an agglomeration effect that will help balance the investment-oriented and turbulent British economy.