The company that is developing plans for a new North-South railway line believes that in a little over a decade Britain could have a 225mph service running every four minutes between London and Birmingham.
Sir David Rowlands, chairman of High Speed Two, tells The Times that the most efficient option would be for high-speed, double-deck trains to travel along a route comprising four tracks rather than the usual two – an arrangement that would cut the journey time from London to Birmingham by 30 minutes.
The initial high-speed line from London to the West Midlands could open soon after 2020 and then be extended gradually.
The Conservative Party has pledged to cancel plans to build a third runway at Heathrow and invest instead in a high-speed rail network.
High-speed rail suits American routes
SNCF, the France’s national railway and pioneers of a high-speed rail network over twenty-five years ago, has expressed interest in operating a similar system in America.
The American government has pledged eight billion dollars for high-speed rail as part of its economic stimulus package, but the improvements are thought likely to involve upgrading existing tracks to increase speeds from 79mph to a relatively modest maximum of 150mph (240km/h).
The TGV trains operating in France travel at up to 320 km/h (200 mph).
SNCF International chairman Jean-Pierre Loubinoux told a news agency this week that the French experience has shown that high-speed rail operates most effectively between large cities that are around 1,000 to 1,500 kilometres (600 to 930 miles) apart.
“Aeroplanes on wheels”
As high-speed rail travel becomes increasingly popular for short-haul business and leisure trips to Europe, the airline Air France has announced plans to run its own trains between Paris, London and Amsterdam – a service it is describing as “aeroplanes on wheels.”
When Eurostar loses its monopoly in 2010, the Air France trains will carry up to 900 passengers at speed of up to 224mph. Travelling at a routine speed that will be 38mph faster than the trains used at present, the new service will complete the London to Paris route in under 2 hours – currently the journey takes fifteen minutes longer.
A spokesperson for the Environmental Transport Association (ETA) said: “Once you take into account the time spent getting to out-of-town airports, the endless queues and the environmental impact of flying, high-speed rail travel is an extremely attractive option.”
Trains vs budget airlines
The deregulation of rail routes in Europe offers the possibility of real competition between train services and budget airlines; both Amsterdam and Frankfurt could be reached within three hours.
Possible new direct rail routes from London could include Lyon, Marseilles, Geneva and Bordeaux.
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