Holyrood and Westminster for talks on high-speed rail

TALKS are to begin between the UK and Scottish governments to prepare the way for Scotland to be linked up with the multi- billion super-speed rail line.

Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin has ordered officials to meet their counterparts at Transport Scotland to work out what will be required to bring the High Speed 2 to Scotland and decide on a final route and destination.

The move is a sign the government is ready to commit to extending HS2 beyond the north of England, which had been in doubt because of the cost of the project.

The initial programme will involve working with Transport Scotland to understand better the remit for future work, with the aim of getting the journey from Scotland to London to under three hours.

The government has already committed itself to building the £33 billion HS2 network between London, Birmingham, Manchester and Leeds.

The initial talks are expected to centre on whether the line should go to Edinburgh, Glasgow or both, and whether it should go up the west or east coast. But the talks will not look at who will fund the connection to Scotland and how much might come from the Scottish Government.

Yesterday, Tory Scotland Office minister David Mundell told The Scotsman: “HS2 is of vital importance for Scotland. It is no good waiting until the line is at Manchester and Leeds and then asking what to do. We need to get the prework done, as construction is going on.”