Unveiling of high-speed rail plans

Aug 26 2009

Plans for a possible new high-speed rail line are due to be published by Network Rail (NR).

The rail infrastructure company announced last year it would be conducting a strategic review into how to ease capacity problems on the UK's main inter-city routes.

Now it will announce its findings on the business case for a new high-speed line.

NR has been looking at how to improve services on the network's five key routes - East Coast, West Coast, Chiltern, Midland and Great Western.

NR chief executive Iain Coucher, who is expected to help publish the new line study, said: "We stand at an exceptional moment in Britain's transport history. Capacity on key rail arteries is becoming scarce and the need for a new main line, which should be high-speed, is clear. Getting more people on to trains and out of polluting cars and planes must be our transport future.

"NR is uniquely positioned to take a network-whole approach in planning the railway of the future. We have a thriving railway today and that must continue and grow to meet the economic and environmental needs of tomorrow's Great Britain."

Since NR announced its new-line review, the Government has set up High Speed Two (HS2) - a company that is drawing up detailed plans for a new north-south high-speed line, with a report due to be submitted to the Department for Transport by the end of this year.

Transport Secretary Lord Adonis is a keen supporter of high-speed rail and has spoken of the first stage of HS2 - from London to the West Midlands - being built by 2020.

Ideally, such a line would extend to Scotland but while the London to Birmingham section could cost around £7 billion, a London to Scotland line might be as much as £29 billion.

The NR report is separate from the HS2 work but is expected to be taken on board by the HS2 team.