High speed rail campaign group HSR\\UK will use the Core Cities Summit in Liverpool to call on all main political parties to raise their game in election manifesto plans for a high speed rail network.

HSR\\UK, comprised of eleven major UK cities, believes that a high speed rail network for Britain should be designed to bring wider economic, environmental and business benefits, as well as tackling the capacity shortfall of the classic rail network. This would give Britain a high speed network to rival that of European cities such as those in France and Germany.

HSR\\UK Campaign Chair Sir Richard Leese said: "The two major challenges facing our next government will be the economy and the environment. A far-reaching high speed rail network that serves the main economic hubs of the UK will help to succeed in both of these areas."

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Developing a high speed network would free up capacity on the conventional railway for short distance local travel, as well as for freight, which would improve connectivity between regions allowing cities to grow their labour markets. High speed rail would also make it easier to open up new business opportunities, increasing the dynamism of business activity, while travel from head offices to regional offices becomes faster and more accessible.

Sir Richard added: "From here in Liverpool to London would take almost 2 hours 10 minutes to travel by train this week but with a high speed rail network in place we could reduce that time for travellers to around an hour and a half."

The Eddington Transport Study - an examination of the impact of transport decisions on the environment and economy in the UK - has also estimated that the potential carbon savings from transferring Scotland to London air passengers to HSR, could be 0.5 million tonnes per year. Over 60 years this would amount to 30 million tonnes - valued at £3.2 billion. Conventional rail cannot achieve this, and new advances in technology mean that journeys on high speed trains can be as energy efficient as on conventional trains.

(CD/KMcA)