British government unveils plan for high-speed rail line linking London and northern England
LONDON - Britain has announced details of new high-speed rail lines linking London to northern England with trains travelling up to 225 miles an hour (360 kph).
The government says the High Speed 2 project will be the first new railway built north of London for more than a century, and will be an economic and environmental boon. But opponents claims it will ruin tracts of picturesque countryside.
The first 140-mile (225-kilometre) stretch of the line, announced last year, will link London to Birmingham, England's second-largest city.
The Y-shaped section announced Monday will extend to the northern cities of Manchester and Leeds.
Officials say the 32.7 billion pounds ($51 billion) project will create at least 100,000 jobs and cut journey times almost in half.
It is due to be completed by 2032.
