Fast new rail links ‘would rival flights’

Jul 19 2008 by William Green, The Journal

THE GOVERNMENT is to face renewed pressure for a new high-speed rail link connecting the North East with London, Scotland and the rest of Europe.

Ministers will be urged next week to support a £30bn line planned by councils in London and the South East opposed to Heathrow airport expansion – as North East business and political leaders call for such a link to boost the economy.

The link would initially follow the M1 from London and serve Leicester, Nottingham, Sheffield, Leeds, Newcastle, Edinburgh and Glasgow.

Spurs would then reach out to major cities in the Midlands and northern England including Birmingham, Manchester and Liverpool.

European links via the Channel Tunnel would mean travellers could get from Sheffield to Paris in three hours, Manchester to Amsterdam in four hours and Leeds to Frankfurt in five and a half hours.

The proposal, which could be completed by 2030, is being unveiled on Monday by the 2M Group – an all-party alliance of local authorities unhappy about development plans at Heathrow.

The group says its plan differs from other high-speed line proposals in that it aims to connect more UK cities and ensures Heathrow is fully joined to the new network. Tyne Bridge MP David Clelland, who sits on the Commons Transport Committee, said: “High-speed rail is necessary and the sooner the better, but whether it will come in time to completely avoid expansion of Heathrow, I am not sure.

“There is no doubt about the fact that if you have high-speed rail, something like maglev, there would be no need for domestic airlines.”

The Labour MP said ministers appeared to accept such a scheme would be developed, but had not yet set a timetable for it.