High Speed Rail route set to be announced

THE Government is today poised to reveal its preferred route for the new £17bn High Speed Rail link between London and Birmingham.

The route has encountered criticism from various councils in the Midlands because of the impact on the environment, but business leaders in the region have welcomed the plan because of the new investment it is likely to generate.

Today’s route is likely to have undergone a series of amendments since it was first announced although the overall route is likely to remain largely intact. Changes centre around deeper cuttings to reduce the noise impact of the high speed trains.

Transport Secretary Philip Hammond will have had to have done his homework properly as a number of his party colleagues are amongst the strongest opponents of the route due to the level of opposition in their constituencies.

Areas at most risk include the Chilterns Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and other Tory heartlands although councils in Coventry and Staffordshire have both voiced their opposition to the route.

In an interview over the weekend, Mr Hammond said the route was likely to have been changed from that announced by the previous Labour Government, with the changes set to reduce the worst environmental impact.

Around half of the total 110-mile line is thought to have been refined, while Ministers are also thought to have reviewed compensation packages for those whose properties are at risk due to the route.

The new route will cut journey times between London and Birmingham to just 47 minutes, while plans for a new station around the NEC are likely to improve the transport potential of Birmingham Airport.

The new line, needed because the existing West Coast Main Line is expected to reach full capacity by 2024, will split north of Birmingham with separate lines travelling to Manchester and Leeds.