The British government announced Thursday an ambitious plan to construct a high-speed railroad link to connect London with Scotland, involving £30 billion (USD 45 billion).
Transport Secretary Andrew Adonis set out details of the first phase of the 335-mile (540-km) Y-shaped line, costing up to £17.5 billion, that would run from London to Birmingham, the nation's second-largest city.
The construction of the first phase is expected to begin in 2017 and be completed in 2026. The cross-border link is expected to significantly reduce travel time to West Midlands, Leeds, Manchester and Sheffield from London.
"Over the next 30 years, the U.K. will require a step-change in transport capacity... this must be delivered sustainably, without unacceptable environment impacts, and in line with the government's strategy to promote a low-carbon economy," Adonis said in his announcement.
Soon after the announcement, calls from business leaders grew for an extension to Scotland from the outset. There were also calls that north Scotland must be included in the scheme.
"Scotland must be a part of our national high-speed rail network from the outset, and this announcement does not go far enough for Scottish businesses," Liz Cameron, chief executive of the Scottish Chambers of Commerce, said.
She said independent research estimated the economic benefits of high-speed railroad services to Scotland to exceed £7 billion, and there were significant environmental and productivity benefits to be gained from the modal shift from air to railroad that such an investment would bring to Scotland.
The announcement came just weeks before a national election is due to be held, probably in May. It also came the same day that Network Rail maintenance workers voted 77 per cent in favor of a strike over new working practices.
The opposition Conservative Party, currently leading in opinion polls, endorsed the concept of high-speed trains running at up to 250 mph (400 kph), and said it would start two years earlier, in 2015. However, it was silent on the proposed route, which is likely to generate opposition in communities along the way.
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