Posted: Tuesday, January 10, 2012 4:59 pm

The government has announced that a contested high-speed rail line linking London to Birmingham will go ahead, despite opposition from environmental conservation groups.

The first phase of the line, called High Speed Two (HS2) will reportedly be in operation by 2026 and will include a connection to Europe via the Channel Tunnel. Subsequent phases will extend the line into northern England and will also include a direct link to Heathrow.

Trains will travel at speeds of up to 255mph, cutting commuter times between Birmingham and London by almost half to 45 minutes one way. As secondary phases of the project are rolled out journeys between destinations including Leeds, Manchester and Edinburgh will also be cut markedly. The government claims in the long term this will deliver £47bn worth of benefits.

However, opposition claim that the £33bn project will cause irrevesable damage to the environment and the costs will ulimately be greater than the predicted economic benefits.