£34bn train line to link London and Scotland
Network rail has today (Aug 26) unveiled a £34bn plan to link London to Scotland by a new high speed train line from 2030.
The UK rail infrastructure operator said the 200mph line would almost halve the time it takes to get from London to Edinburgh to just over two hours.
The proposal is the result of a 12-month study by Network Rail into the long-term need for increased rail capacity.
The study rejected three other rail routes linking other UK cities such as Leeds, Bristol and Cardiff and recommended improvements to the London-West Midlands route.
But the UK Government said it would carry out its own study into rail capacity taking into account costs and any environmental impact.
Reports said Network Rail if given government approval could take up to five years to decide on the exact route.
Network Rail said: "By the end of the next decade, despite all the investment that has been made and all the additional capacity that has and will be provided, the route that will become full first is the corridor to Birmingham and the North West with no spare capacity for more trains or passengers.
"There are no further enhancements that can be made to the existing route that could meet future demand."
The company said the best solution would be a line capable of running services at speeds in excess of 200mph.
Network Rail compared the UK's current high speed line with the rest of the world and cited financial and environmental benefits.
"With big targets for reducing carbon emissions, our roads and skies getting unbearably congested and with little capacity on existing key rail arteries, the need for new railway routes has never been stronger," it said.
Network Rail ‘s plans include 1,500 miles of new track, 138 bridges, 53 trains and 34 miles of tunnels.
The new is expected to cost £34bn in total, with £15bn from construction and $5.4bn non-construction.
£13.5bn has been set aside for "uplift" which accounts for cost changes "due to the early nature of scheme development".
Network Rail said in the past only governments had been able to fund large-scale infrastructure projects.
But it said a phased construction over ten years would be "a much more affordable proposition".
The line will also link Glasgow to Preston, Liverpool and Manchester in the north of England, and Birmingham in the midlands before ending in London.
London to Birmingham, the UK's second largest city, would take just 45 minutes down from one hour and 20 minutes.
www.networkrail.co.uk