Adonis unveils high-speed rail line details

DETAILS of possible multi-billion-pound high-speed rail line are set to be announced by the government today, with business leaders calling for Edinburgh to be included in the route from the outset.

The government will outline the route, and the cost, of a high-speed rail (HSR) line running from London to Birmingham.

Transport Secretary Lord Adonis will also publish the Government's views on how HSR can be extended north of Birmingham to northern England and Scotland.

The Scottish Chambers of Commerce called for Lord Adonis' announcement to take full account of "the best return there is" by including Scotland in plans from the outset.

Chief executive Liz Cameron said: "We admire Lord Adonis' commitment to creating a rail network fit for purpose for the 21st century. His immediate concern – to add capacity to London to Birmingham routes makes perfect sense. But so does connecting with Scotland from the outset, as the further the line goes the more sense High Speed Rail makes."

Lord Adonis is expected to announce that 1,100-seater HSR trains will arrive and depart from a new London station, with the line likely to pass through the Chiltern Hills to Birmingham.

If the line becomes a reality, work would not start until 2017 at the earliest, with a London-Birmingham line unlikely to open before 2025.