A collective groan from business leaders and politicians across the North greeted the news the government was to launch a review into HS2.
Last week's announcement saw Boris Johnson's government reveal it would make a decision on whether to proceed with the controversial project - despite billions having already been pumped into it.
The estimated cost of the huge rail scheme is now expected to exceed £100bn.
But many now expect that, with renowned HS2 opposer Lord Berkeley having been named a (not so impartial) deputy chair of the review, there's a good chance Transport Secretary Grant Shapps could cut losses and scrap the whole thing altogether.
The decision to review has aligned HS2 with almost every single other political issue in the news at the moment by shrouding it in complete uncertainty.
But what may at first seem like a definite downer for Manchester, Liverpool and other northern cities could yet turn into something more positive.
A factor that may be hugely significant for cities like ours can be found in the government's Terms of Reference of the review, where it says the exercise could focus on "whether and how the project could be reprioritised".
In particular, it continues by saying that could mean considering "whether and, if so how, Northern Powerhouse Rail (NPR) (including the common sections with HS2 Phase 2b) could be prioritised over delivering the southern sections of HS2."
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To be clear, this would mean a significant move away from the government's current position of completing the London-Birmingham-Manchester high-speed line. It would instead re-focus time and money on a high-speed line connecting Liverpool with Manchester, Leeds, Sheffield, Newcastle and Hull - a scheme previously in the pipeline, but something of a HS2 afterthought.
This point appeared to grab the attention of the Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, in particular.
He summed up the situation when he said: "I am very encouraged by the suggestion that the crucial east – west link across the North, which HS2 enables, could be prioritised over southern sections of the line. I will work with the review team to explore that possibility."
Of course, to feel the full benefit of high-speed rail in this country, the HS2 southern line must go ahead, and the clear best-case scenario is for them both to happen - Mayor Burnham's subsequent point being that both HS2 and the NPR are "vital" if we are to re-balance the country's economy.
Correct too, is Liverpool City Region's Metro Mayor, Steve Rotheram, who said that the city should not have to choose between HS2 and Northern Powerhouse Rail.
However, people in most northern cities (and locations outside of London) would probably agree that getting to and from the capital is not the problem (except for the price perhaps), promised in June.
The trip to London from Liverpool is just over two hours - hardly a burden, particularly when you consider the same trip by car takes around twice as long.
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The problem for most is, in fact, intercity connectivity outside of the capital.
This was best shown, perhaps, by the very own , when he attempted to travel by train from Liverpool to Hull and back in the same day.
The round trip between the cities - the major ports on the west and east side of the 海角视频 - is 220 miles - but .
Watch our reporter Nick Tyrrell's struggle below:
And while Nick's experience may have been a slightly extreme case, similar struggles are all too regular for commuters and those attempting to get across the north by rail.
Prime Minister Mr Johnson may have treated cities like Liverpool with utter disdain in the past, not least brazenly , and to hold a major Conference of the North event in September.
But transport-wise, the North appears to be at least be a consideration for Mr Johnson's government, last month - whether or not that was a cynical attempt to win voters ahead of a likely General Election.
On that election note, a completed HS2 rail line would run through the constituencies of 26 Tory MPs, including Mr Johnson's own Uxbridge and South Ruislip seat - not an issue he would need to consider with NPR.
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So with the Manchester-Leeds guarantee secured, and the information contained in the review's Terms of Reference, could a man even of Mr Johnson's record leave Liverpool out of a plan that would stand to benefit its closest neighbours?
Reversing the priorities under the review, and putting NPR at the front of the queue ahead of HS2, would give a greater chance of it actually coming off than there is now, with the NPR scheme currently subject to a countless number of doubters.
There is cause for optimism - cautious optimism - that the NPR could become a reality when the government makes its final decision by the end of the year.