23/06/2008 06:24:00
Five new high-speed rail lines may be built on chief railway routes linking London to major cities in Britain.
According to the BBC, Network Rail is expected to announce today that it will launch a commission to investigate what might be the most extensive railway track construction project since the 1800s.
The study is expected to consider laying down new lines for high-speed trains, similar to French TVG trains, on some of the UK's busiest passenger routes.
The routes in question include: the East Coast mainline to Edinburgh, the West Coast mainline to Birmingham, Manchester and Glasgow and the Chiltern route to Birmingham.
Other busy routes under consideration are the Great Western mainline to Cardiff and Penzance, and the Midland mainline to Sheffield.
Over the last decade, railway passenger numbers have increased by around 40%, with numbers expected to rise by another 30% in the next ten years.
The impending study has been widely praised. The BBC quotes Richard Dyer, transport campaigner for Friends of the Earth, who said: "Expanding Britain's railways by building new high speed lines is potentially very exciting - and could play an important role in weaning Britain off fossil fuels and developing a new carbon economy."
In addition, Ashwin Kumar, the passenger director for independent watchdog Passenger Focus, said: "We welcome the study. It is extremely important the rail industry anticipates future growth."
Network Rail's plans come just a few weeks after the UK's Rail Minister, Tom Harris, questioned the environmentally-friendly aspect of high-speed rail travel, much to the consternation of several green advocates in parliament.