Rail chief calls for 200mph train line in Britain

Britain should try to emulate the success of the high-speed French rail network with a line from London to the North capable of carrying trains at more than 200mph, the Strategic Rail Authority said.

Richard Bowker, the authority's chairman, said he expected firm proposals to be outlined by the end of the year for a London to Manchester high-speed link, with a later possible extension to Glasgow.

He said he expected the plan to be incorporated in the Government's next 10-year plan for the country's transport infrastructure from 2010.

However, he said the rail industry should first concentrate on getting the existing network to function properly.

The route will need to follow a direct line through the countryside to achieve faster speeds than the 186mph TGV network in France and considerably quicker than the 125mph maximum in operation in Britain.

Virgin Trains, where Mr Bowker was co-chairman before moving to the SRA job, had previously attempted to introduce a high-speed link when it bid to take over the East Coast main line between London and Edinburgh.

The company's plan included a separate high-speed line from South Yorkshire to Peterborough, which would have reduced journey times between London and Edinburgh to less than four hours.

However, the company, which currently runs the West Coast line, lost out to the existing operator on the 400-mile route, the Great North Eastern Railway.

At the time Virgin was angry saying their idea for a high-speed line had been stolen by the SRA. For its part, the SRA said the plan was worth considering but not for the bid on the table and renewed the GNER contract.

When Mr Bowker took the job at the SRA, he came under fire because industry insiders thought he would favour Virgin over other rail companies. However, his latest idea could eventually see the time from London to Scotland cut from about five hours to three to make the British network closer to the standards set in France.

The SRA hopes the scheme would help persuade people to leave their cars and take the train. A study carried out on behalf of the SRA has shown that the demand for rail travel is likely to rise beyond the end of the first 10-year plan.