Commitment called for on high speed rail plans

Date: 16/3/2010

Senior figures from the transport sector in Manchester have made calls for a the government to make concrete the plans for a high-speed rail link.

Chairman of the Greater Manchester Integrated Transport Authority councillor Keith Whitmore told the Manchester Evening News: "We want to see the government build on the proposals and develop them into something more far-reaching and more concrete."

He added that a "firm commitment" to issues such as funding and timescales for development are important for the planning of Manchester's future rail services.

The first stage of the proposed high-speed rail line is due to connect London to Birmingham, with later stages possibly connecting Birmingham with Manchester and Leeds.

The proposals could see the use of trains capable of travelling at speeds of up to 250 mph and are designed to reduce the journey time between the country's major hubs. Should the line to Manchester be completed, the journey time could fall to around 75 minutes, the Manchester Evening News states.