The British Government is being urged to "act immediately" on two key Railfuture campaign aims.

Electrification and high-speed rail are two issues which the Government has so far ducked, according to the House of Commons transport committee in a report out today.

The committee of MPs said: "Hesitation over high-speed rail now will mean years of avoidable misery and overcrowding on the network.

"It is deeply disappointing that the Government dodged a decision on high-speed rail."

Railfuture believes that the Government is completely wrong in claiming that the need for a high-speed rail network has "not been established". It has tried to divert attention away by claiming there are no funds available when it is still wasting money on expanding the road network and encouraging air travel.

The Government should be imposing restrictions on road and air travel – which are unsustainable and cause massive noise and air pollution which afflict millions of people.

The MPs say the Government's rail strategy lacks ambition and should go back to the drawing board.

The committee, now chaired by Liverpool Riverside MP Louise Ellman, advised: "After years of sustained growth in rail patronage, we urge the Government to be bolder in its vision and to set out a proper long-term strategy."

It warned that the high-level output strategy that rule which rail projects to spend money on between 2009 and 2014 was based on assumptions that the oil price would be less than $100 a barrel. It is now $130.

Network Rail is now conducting an investigation into high-speed rail and the MPs committee urged the Government to act immediately once the feasibility study is completed next year.

Information from The Guardian