Tory plan for high-speed rail link

Delegates at the Conservative conference cheered today as Theresa Villiers, the shadow transport secretary, said a future Tory government would say no to a third runway at Heathrow and instead give the green light to a £20bn 180mph rail link between Leeds, Manchester, Birmingham and London."This is one of the hardest decisions we've faced as a party and we will not run away from it," she said. A high-speed link from St Pancras to Heathrow, connecting the north, could replace up to 66,500 flights a year."That would free up almost a third of the capacity that would be provided if a third runway were built," Villiers said.Under the proposals, revealed by the Guardian today, the journey time from Birmingham to London – currently at least 90 minutes – would be slashed to just 40 minutes.Construction would begin in 2015 with full completion by 2027, Villiers said."The case for high-speed rail is clear," said Villiers. "It would generate huge economic benefits, it would dramatically improve transport links between north and south and it would give a vitally important boost to our efforts to protect future generations from catastrophic climate change."I believe that this announcement signals a momentous step forward for Britain's transport infrastructure. It will leave a lasting legacy for the future. And it will lay the foundations for a high speed network that I believe will one day stretch across the country." The Guardian

A great idea and a definite vote winner! Let us just hope that if this scheme ever gets off the ground British manufacturing benefits. Since Labour have been in office the British locomotive manufacturing industry has been annihilated, British manufacturers have been abandoned in favour of foreign imports which yet again highlights the treachery of Nu Lab. Tameside Citizen