Getting up to speed

Jun 26 2007 By William Green Political Editor, The Journal

The North-East should be linked into a new national high-speed rail network to boost prosperity, according to a report.

The study has concluded that a new London-Glasgow route should run along the east of the UK - taking in Newcastle - with links to Birmingham, Manchester and Liverpool to help drive growth and tackle climate change.

And the findings have been welcomed in the region in the wake of a rival report that called on ministers to first focus on building a North-South high-speed link via the North-West before an eventual eastern link is constructed.

Blaydon MP Dave Anderson said electrification carried out on the existing East Coast rail route in the 1980s had provided a massive boost and showed what could be achieved when investment was put in.

He also said existing cross-country routes were "pathetic", adding: "Anything that closes the productivity gap which has quite clearly been exposed between the rest of the country and us has got to be useful".

Assistant CBI regional director Liz Smith said: "The North-East is a relatively small region, therefore external links to other markets are very important for its continued economic growth and prosperity.

"It is encouraging that this new report highlights this. Business in the region is very clear about the need for the North-East to be connected to any new high-speed ground transport link that is built."

Report author Colin Elliff said an east-sided "spine" route was the best option as it tackled climate change and the need for better connections from London to and between regional centres - as highlighted in a Government-ordered report into Britain's long-term transport needs.

The consultant added that rising public awareness of climate change would force high-speed rail back on the political agenda, despite an apparent lack of support from former BA chief Sir Rod Eddington who wrote the study on the UK's transport needs. French-style TGV trains - running up to 200mph - could operate from London to Glasgow with a spur to Birmingham with Liverpool and Manchester linked to the line via the disused Woodhead Tunnel under the Pennines, according to Mr Elliff, who works for international consultancy firm Atkins.

Writing in a company publication, he said: "By revolutionising links across the Pennines, the proposal would achieve the connectivity sought by Eddington, rather than simply concentrating on getting to London fast."

He said the Woodhead route gave the optimum Manchester-London route, while opening up links to Scotland and conurbations on the east of the country.

The transport expert also raised the possibility of connecting to the Channel Tunnel and new services around the capital - including to Heathrow Airport - to create a "truly" national network.

"Not only will high speed rail generate prosperity and tackle climate change, it has the huge additional benefit of relieving existing network congestion.

"By diverting premium long distance traffic on to new high speed lines, the classic routes would be free to concentrate on freight and shorter distance commuters, without the disruption of on-line upgrading works," said Mr Elliff.

The transport expert recognised the need to build high-speed railways more cheaply, with recently quoted figures of £50m per kilometre being unaffordable.

He suggested one option was to put routes alongside motorways to avoid the cost of protecting unspoilt countryside.

Benefits of the proposed new North-South network:

* Serve most UK population centres, creating a credible network of interconnections rather than just links to London.

* Avoid "blight" of out-of-town parkway stations by concentrating development on city centre terminals.

* Link into the Channel Tunnel rail connection and London Tube network - requiring a terminal in the King's Cross/St Pancras/Euston area of north London.

* Disperse passengers to wider metropolitan destinations by a route avoiding Greater London.

* Access to Heathrow possible.

* Best way to encourage people out of cars and off planes to rail, with carbon emissions minimised through a sustainable long-term solution for the UK's transport needs.

* Affordable by following existing motorways and railways, ensuring major savings are possible.

* Establish "environmental best practice" for a strategic rail-based transport network in the UK as an example for emerging nations to follow.

Why trains can connect us up to a `super region'

The latest call for ultra-fast trains comes amid growing interest in development of a North Britain "super-region" through such a rail network.

Experts and business leaders say the North-East's future could be transformed by plugging into a new high-speed rail system being proposed in Scotland to create a region able to rival London economic power.

Scottish officials have backed an ultra-high speed maglev link between Glasgow and Edinburgh, offering journeys of 12 minutes, allowing the cities to pack a mighty combined economic punch and bringing in another £500m of inward investment a year.

And a maglev service of up to 311mph would cut journey times between Newcastle and Edinburgh to 35 minutes. Liverpool would be just an hour away and London reached within 100 minutes if the system was extended southwards.

Mick Henry, chairman of the Association of North-East Councils, said it was time to be "aspirational and bold" with better links to Scotland creating more favourable business, employment and tourism opportunities.

His comments come after he announced a study into a maglev line between Tyneside and Teesside earlier this year.

And Northumberland-based Alan James, of maglev champions UK Ultraspeed, who is behind the multi-billion pound scheme, said it would not cost the public anything up front and be paid for through a 30-year "mortgage".

Business chiefs have also pointed to a £5.8bn bridge between Copenhagen and Malmo, in Scandinavia, to show how investment in top-quality transport can help transform development.

Some 3.5 million residents would have had to once travel by sea, but are now within a 30-minute drive or rail trip from the other side - helping tackle unemployment in and around Malmo, Sweden's third largest city, and a labour shortage in the Danish capital Copenhagen.