HS2 delivers high speed plan to Adonis

Transport secretary Lord Adonis has received detailed plans for a second high-speed line from HS2, the company set up by ministers to identify a viable London-West Midlands-north high-speed rail link.

The £60bn project, which could see 250mph trains running by 2025, would involve a new terminus being constructed in the capital big enough to handle 18 trains an hour during the peak.

Speaking about the UK developing high-speed rail links,Lord Adonis said  ” This is a plan that would need to be implemented over 20-30 years, just as countries like France, Germany and Japan have built high-speed rail networks over a whole generation” Mr Adonis continued  ” We would not actually be starting to build a line, even if we could get agreement now on where the line should go, until about 2017″

Asked about financing HS2 Mr Adonis said  ” You would want to see public private partnership (PPP) and I would like to see a significant private contribution”

Lord Adonis in the cab of a class 395 as it heads along HS1. Picture: www.upmain.com

He went on by saying ” This isn’t a choice between high-speed rail or nothing. We need to assess what 21st century transport links we are going to need between our cities”  

The transport secretary spelled out the options available to the UK to increase transport capacity  ”Trains-and the modern technology is high-speed trains running at 250mph, additional motorways or  additional planes. These are the choices that face us if we need the additional capacity. It’s on that basis that most other countries in Europe have decided to progress with high-speed lines between their major cities”

The final plan will be made public in March.