High-speed line may need two new stations

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By Peter Plisner BBC Midlands Today transport correspondent The building of the first line to the West Midlands could start in 2015

Birmingham could get two new multi-million pound railway stations if proposals for a high-speed rail network get the go-ahead.

The first line is expected to be built between London and the West Midlands with trains running at more than 200mph, cutting journey times to less than 45 minutes from the Midlands to London.

The BBC has learned that as part of plans to accommodate the new line, Birmingham will probably need two new stations.

The first would be close to the city centre, probably in the under-developed Eastside area.

A second station is likely to be built close to Birmingham International Airport and the National Exhibition Centre (NEC), with easy access to the motorway network.

Those involved in planning high-speed lines agree New Street station, which is due for a major redevelopment, will not be suitable, although it would continue to serve the non-high speed services.

'Perfect sense'

It is understood potential sites for the stations will be included in a report, due to be handed to transport ministers at the end of this month.

The report has been compiled by High Speed Two (HS2), a special company set up by the government earlier this year. Its sole aim is to plan the first line to the West Midlands, but it has also been advising ministers on options to go further north in the future.

Campaigner Jim Steer said there was a strong case for two stations

High-speed rail campaigners have maintained that having two stations in Birmingham would make "perfect sense".

Jim Steer, director of campaign group Greengauge 21, said: "We will have to see the report, but my guess is that it is pretty likely.

"There is a very strong case for a city centre station and equally I think they will find, as our work has found, there is a very good case for a station at perhaps Birmingham International Airport."

In recent months there has been a long and drawn out debate about exactly where a high-speed station for the West Midlands should be.

Some have argued high-speed rail systems work best when lines go directly into city centres.

Others, like officials from the airport and NEC, have backed plans for an "interchange" station there.

Election delay

Paul Kehoe, chief executive of the airport, said: "We truly believe in an integrated transport solution and a station here with the NEC, the airport and the M42 is a fantastic location.

"So let's get on with it."

Although the report will be completed by the end of December, it is not clear when it will be officially published.

The government has said it is committed to launching a public consultation in 2010, however those plans will almost certainly be delayed by the general election.

It is hoped that despite the impending election, ministers will publish the report either in February or March.

Chartered surveyor Steven Hinton said a decision had to be made quickly

High-speed rail plans have achieved cross-party support and it is expected that whichever party forms the next government, planning work will continue.

But there are already concerns about the impact a high-speed line could have on the communities through which it might pass.

The report is likely to put forward several potential routes. And while the speculation about the routes continues, each of the areas which could be potentially disrupted could suffer lengthy periods of blight, where property values fall and houses become more difficult to sell.

Chartered surveyor Steven Hinton said: "It's likely to be sometime before we have a definitive route and particularly in an election year, the more delay there is, the more blight there will be and the more hardship there will be for families."

Building a high-speed network will cost tens of billions of pounds, which is expected to come from a mixture of public and private sector sources.

Planning the network is also expected to take several years to complete.

Early estimates suggest construction of the first line to the West Midlands could start in 2015 with the line opening in the early-2020s.