A new study outlines a vision of a UK High Speed Rail network that would cut journey times between Edinburgh and London to 2 hours 40 minutes.
Greengauge 21's "Fast Forward: A high-speed Rail Strategy for Britain" recommends a network of mainly new railways operating at up to 200mph, including two north-south lines from Glasgow and Edinburgh to London and other cities in England; plus east-west links across the Pennines, from London to Wales and between Edinburgh and Glasgow.
The study, which was welcomed by The City of Edinburgh Council, Glasgow City Council and Scottish Enterprise when it was unveiled yesterday, includes connections to the Channel Tunnel and Heathrow airport.
Greenguage 21 state that, if the economic, environmental and social challenges of the 21st century are to be met, work on such a network must begin within the next decade.
The entire high speed network would be around 1,500km long with capacity for 178million passengers each year - that's 590,000 a day. It would also attract around 30m passengers a year from domestic air travel and 13 million from the car onto the rails.
Beyond that, a High Speed Rail network would also bring with it a package of benefits worth around £125bn. For Edinburgh and Glasgow, this is estimated to be in the region of £20bn - by far the greatest regional benefit outside of London and the South-East.
The studies are the result of over a year's work by leading transport, financial and public affairs experts.
Cllr Gordon Mackenzie, Convener of Transport at the City of Edinburgh Council, said: "For us, the priority must be a London HSR link to Scotland - and one that assists sustainable economic growth through competitive ticket pricing. The proposal by Greengauge 21 reflects this by detailing the benefits of a high speed network for Scotland and why including Scotland is essential for the network as a whole. The many millions of trips to and from Scotland that would switch to high speed rail could generate the revenue and other benefits that make the business case for the whole network so powerful. It also indicates that a network can reach beyond the Central Belt to offer new travel opportunities for areas further north as well."
The study suggests that the number of short haul and domestic flights would plummet as travellers move to rail rather than fly. It forecasts that rail journeys between London and Glasgow/Edinburgh would increase to 88% from the current level of 26%. The High Speed Rail journey from Glasgow to London or Edinburgh to London, with one intermediate stop in the West Midlands or North West, would take 2 hours 40 minutes. By comparison, the fast Edinburgh to London train takes around four and a half hours today.
Kevin Kane, Director of Policy Development, Scottish Enterprise, said: "High-speed rail connections between Scotland, the south, London and Europe will create significant opportunities for all of Scotland's cities and regions and we are currently exploring how we can maximise the potential economic benefits. Improved connectivity and accessibility would provide a major boost to a number of Scotland's key sectors including tourism, creative industries and financial services."