Minister announces high speed rail strategy
12 March 2010 (updated on 22 April 2010)
Sadiq Khan, Minister of State at the Department of Transport, made a statement to the Commons on the proposed strategy for high speed rail between London and the major cities of the midlands, the north and Scotland.
- Video and Audio: Statement: High speed rail
- Commons Hansard: Statement: High speed rail
- About Parliament: Ministerial statements
- Topical Issues: Rail
The strategy is for the development of an initial core high speed network that would link London to Birmingham, Manchester, the east midlands, Sheffield and Leeds, with high speed trains running from the outset through to Liverpool, Newcastle, Glasgow and Edinburgh.
That network of about 335 miles in total, with branches north of Birmingham running either side of the Pennines, would be capable of carrying trains at up to 250 mph and could be extended to other cities and to Scotland.
The statement was originally made in the House of Lords by the Secretary of State for Transport, Lord Adonis.