Rail campaigners welcomed the Government’s commitment today to building high-speed rail links from London to both Manchester and Leeds.
The £33 billion scheme would make rail the mode of choice for most inter-city journeys within the UK, and for many beyond, Transport Secretary Philip Hammond told the Tory party conference in Birmingham on Monday 4 October 2010.
It would change "the economic and social geography of Britain, “connecting our great population centres and our international gateways together".
He added: "By creating a smaller Britain, where literally journey times from Leeds to London will be about 80 minutes, we change the geography, we change the way people think and we change the opportunities that are available."
Mr Hammond said consultation would begin in the New Year on the preferred route of the London-Birmingham line.
North of Birmingham, the Government has chosen separate 250mph routes, one to Manchester and one to the East Midlands and Yorkshire.
It is the Y option rather than an S-shaped line across the Pennines.
"This is very welcome news indeed,” said David Brown, director general of the South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive.”
“A high-speed rail link through Yorkshire will greatly benefit the economy of the region and by extension the UK.
“We have done a great deal of work together with our colleagues in West Yorkshire to underline these economic benefits and are very pleased that this has now been accepted by the Government.”
He said it should not be seen as an alternative to investment in the Midland main line and the East Coast main line but should complement them.
Information from SYPTE