High-speed rail plans

The Department for Transport (DfT) has officially endorsed high-speed rail plans linking London, the West Midlands and Scotland.

A government-created company, High Speed Two (HS2), is to look at whether faster trains can be introduced from London to the north-west transport corridor - an area that has been identified by the government as being the most heavily used transport route linking the UK’s major cities.

In a letter to David Rowlands, head of HS2, transport minister, Andrew Adonis, signalled the government’s intention to undertake a public consultation for the scheme in 2010.

Adonis said: ‘Britain used to have a rail network that was the envy of the world and I envisage that HS2 will help re-establish Britain as a world leader in rail travel.

‘A high-speed line will provide faster journey times to the West Midlands and beyond, linking our major economic centres and communities, and will free-up capacity on the existing rail network for additional regional and local services.