Upcoming Events :
Housing Seminar: Partnerships with the Public Sector – Avoiding the pitfalls
Thu 31 May 2012
Minerva House, 5 Montague Close, London, SE1 9BB
Benn defends environmental impact of high-speed rail network
Fri 09 Apr 2010
The government has insisted that the planned high-speed rail network between Birmingham and London will be good for the environment.
The plans, which were unveiled by transport secretary Lord Adonis last month, have been criticised by some because parts of the line will be built in rural areas.
However, environment secretary Hilary Benn has said the new rail service will help to cut the UK's carbon emissions and support a green economy, the Coventry Telegraph reports.
He stated that the high-speed network would be an "essential bit of infrastructure" that would create a lot of jobs and boost the economy.
Mr Benn also noted that the current Labour government has proved its commitment to the environment by exceeding the targets outlined in the Kyoto Protocol.
Trains on the proposed high-speed line would run at speeds of up to 250 miles per hour and would reduce journey times between London and the West Midlands to about half an hour.
