West Midlands councils remain deeply divided over high speed rail, with only Birmingham and Solihull looking certain to back the HS2 plan.

Attempts by Birmingham to persuade Coventry, Walsall, Sandwell, Wolverhampton and Dudley to support the £17 billion initiative have not proved successful.

Coventry has expressed outright opposition to HS2 Phase One – a line from London to Birmingham, which could be up and running by 2026.

All political parties on the city council voted to oppose the scheme, which they say will by-pass Coventry and result in fewer fast trains from the city to London.

Walsall, Sandwell, Wolverhampton and Dudley councils are still considering their position, but are sceptical about the jobs and wealth that HS2 supporters insist will flow to the region from the 250mph trains.

Transport officials at Birmingham City Council, who believe HS2 will deliver a huge boost to the economy by slashing journey times between London and the West Midlands, are privately dismayed at what they regard as a lack of strategic thinking by Coventry and the Black Country local authorities.

Sharp differences of opinion about high speed rail came to a head at a meeting of West Midlands council leaders.

The meeting refused to approve a report by Birmingham City Council chief executive Stephen Hughes praising the “significant economic and transportation benefits” of HS2.

The paper, which proposed endorsing HS2 Phase One, was withdrawn when it became clear it would not be approved.

A survey by financial consultants KPMG predicts that 22,000 jobs will be created by HS2, along with a £1.5 billion boost to the West Midlands economy.

The report by Mr Hughes stated: “HS2 has the potential to radically transform the economies not just of major cities, but also of surrounding connected towns and cities, extending advantages far beyond the stations that it directly serves.”

The document sought to reinforce the argument that HS2 will free up capacity on the overcrowded West Coast Main Line, creating more local train services between the Black Country, Birmingham and Coventry.

Sandwell Council leader Steve Eling said the KPMG figures were “rather over-egging the pudding”.

Dudley Council leader Les Jones said that while he personally supported HS2, he doubted whether the Black Country would see all of the benefits claimed.