Network Rail plans £34billion high-speed service

Network Rail has unveiled plans for a new £34billion high-speed rail link that would take passengers from London to Scotland in two hours.The announcement follows a detailed investigation into the need for a new capacity on Britain's railway network.

Trains travelling at 200mph could move thousands of people between London, the Midlands and the North West of England, as well as Glasgow and Edinburgh, with the journey to Birmingham reduced to 46 minutes. The proposed high-speed link, it claimed, could generate almost £55 billion in revenue and benefits as well as dramatically reducing domestic air and road travel.


Iain Coucher, Network Rail's chief executive, said: “High-speed rail can transform Britain. It can promote economic growth, regeneration and social inclusion...It is a low-carbon option – cutting domestic flights and taking cars and lorries off the road. It will release capacity on the existing rail network and revolutionise passenger journeys.”