Will Yorkshire see 250mph trains to London?

In a White Paper, the Government will outline the route, and the cost, of a high-speed rail (HSR) line running from London to Birmingham. But it is not yet known if the line will continue through north Yorkshire.

Transport Secretary Lord Adonis will publish the Government's views on how HSR can be extended north of Birmingham to northern England and Scotland.

He will make public a report produced last year by the High Speed Two (HS2) company - a body commissioned by the Government to produce detailed London-Birmingham HSR plans as well as options for extending HSR further north.

Lord Adonis is expected to announce that 1,100-seater HSR trains will arrive and depart from a new London station, with the route of the line likely to pass through the picturesque Chiltern Hills to Birmingham.

If the line becomes a reality, work would not start until 2017 at the earliest, with a London-Birmingham line unlikely to open before the last part of 2025.

Initially, there would be 14 trains an hour on the route. If the line is extended north, there could be 18 trains an hour.

Tomorrow's announcement is bound to cause political and economic controversy as the route seems certain to pass through areas of outstanding natural beauty.

All three major parties are committed in principle to the idea of HSR but the Conservatives turned down an offer to view the Government plans before tomorrow's announcement.

Explaining her party's stance, shadow transport secretary Theresa Villiers said she did not want "some cosy deal reached behind closed doors which closes out the communities that may be affected by the route".

The Tories are also keen to see the route include Heathrow Airport, although it is thought that the Government is unwilling to support a direct link to the west London site.

There has also been concern from some organisations that HSR will be so costly that other rail or public transport projects could be starved of cash.

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Friends of the Earth's executive director Andy Atkins said: "A fast and efficient rail system has a vital role to play in creating a modern and low-carbon UK transport system.

"But questions remain about how successful a new HSR will be in cutting emissions, and its wider impacts on communities and the environment.

"A high-speed link will cost billions of pounds, but is unlikely to deliver major carbon cuts unless it is part of a wider strategic approach to transport that has the development of a low-carbon future at its heart."

Liberal Democrat transport spokesman Norman Baker said: "HSR commands wide public support and, in theory, support from all three parties.

"What a pity then that the Tories have chosen to kick up an artificial fuss over the matter.

"It is clear that they have decided to put short-term politics ahead of the long-term interests of the country, or worse, that (shadow chancellor) George Osborne has decided that they are not really committed to HSR at all."

TUC general secretary Brendan Barber said: "HSR links have been a huge success across Europe and it's vital that the UK's rail infrastructure is not left behind.

"A new HSR link will deliver huge economic benefits to all of the regions it serves, create thousands of highly-skilled jobs and contribute to a greener transport system.

"But the UK must not repeat the mistakes of other countries where investment in HSR came at the cost of other national and regional services, which were left to decay."