Plans for new rail link

Plans for the fastest railway in Europe have been handed to the Government for approval.

^{_{The multi-billion-pound link would see 250mph trains travel from London to the West Midlands out of a new station in the capital.}}

If approved, construction would begin in 2017, with the first trains running by 2025.

Lord Adonis, the Transport Secretary, told Sky News he was confident passengers would welcome the developments, and said it was time for Britain to catch up with Europe.

"I think people's minds are being concentrated on the benefits of high-speed rail - particularly because they see them abroad," he said.

"People for years now have been using the TGVs in France - other European countries have similar trains - and they're rightly starting to ask 'Why don't we have them here?'"

The 400m-long trains would carry 1,100 passengers in a project which could cost as much as £60bn.

The station would be big enough to handle 14, and eventually 18 trains an hour, with 20,000 passengers travelling in and out every 60 minutes.

The 200-page report, from the High Speed Two (HS2) company, also presents options for a high-speed line, or lines, north of Birmingham up to Scotland.

If the Government decides to pursue the proposals, it will publish a White Paper by the end of March 2010.

The HS2 team looked at 35 possible sites in London for the high-speed terminus and have settled for a site right in the centre of the capital.

The route has been designed to reduce noise and visual impact as much as possible.

However, it is almost certain to meet opposition if, as expected, it would involve cutting through the picturesque Chiltern Hills in Buckinghamshire.

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