Panel backs English high-speed rail

A British parliamentary committee released a report Monday backing a plan for a high-speed rail line between London and the Midlands.The cost of the project is estimated at 32 billion pounds (almost $60 billion), and many rank-and-file Conservative lawmakers call it a costly boondoggle, The Guardian reported. Critics say a new line between London and Birmingham would threaten the Chiltern Hills, a renowned area of natural beauty.Members of the transport committee from the governing Conservative-Liberal Democrat committee and the Labor Party gave the project their support. Supporters say trains running as fast as 250 mph to Birmingham and on to Manchester and Leeds would boost the economy."A high speed rail network, beginning with a line between London and the West Midlands, would provide a step change in the capacity, quality, reliability and frequency of rail services between our major cities," Louise Ellman, the Labor transport chair, said. "A high-speed line offers potential economic and strategic benefits which a conventional line does not, including a dramatic improvement in connectivity between our major cities, Heathrow and other airports, and the rest of Europe."