High-speed trains may still stop at Birmingham Airport and NEC

Aug 31 2009 by Paul Dale, Birmingham Post

The man appointed by the Government to investigate high-speed rail has made it clear that a new route from London to Scotland could still stop at Birmingham International Airport and the NEC, even though the option has been rejected by Network Rail.

Sir David Rowlands said he was continuing to look closely at the possibility of a 200mph service serving a parkway station close to Birmingham International as well as stopping in Birmingham city centre en-route to Manchester and the North-west.

His comments came in a letter to Birmingham International Airport chief executive Paul Kehoe following publication of a Network Rail report putting the case for a £41 billion high-speed rail line from London to Glasgow.

In an outspoken attack, Mr Kehoe claimed Network Rail’s proposals would largely benefit Manchester, the north of England and Scotland, while leaving the West Midlands out in the cold.