UK Government to develop high-speed rail network to replace short-haul aviation

UK Government plans to develop a high-speed rail network to replace short-haul aviation on both domestic and European services (Reuters, 04-Aug-09). The government plans to publish a London-Birmingham service by the end of 2009, which may later be extended to Scotland, to potentially be funded by a public-private-partnership. The high speed trains could also be operated on the existing network.

UK Government: "For reasons of carbon reduction and wider environmental benefits, it is manifestly in the public interest that we systematically replace short-haul aviation with high-speed rail. But we would have to have, of course, the high-speed network before we can do it." Andrew Adonis, Transport Secretary. Source: Reuters, 04-Aug-09.