High speed train tunnel in London

Nearly three miles of extra tunnelling under London and thousands of new jobs were pledged to buy off protesters as the High Speed Rail line to Birmingham finally got the go-ahead today.

The announcement means a complete redevelopment of Euston station, creating 2,000 jobs in offices and shops.

Backers say 20,000 jobs will be created at the major new Old Oak Common interchange near Wormwood Scrubs, saying it would do for west London regeneration what the Olympics is doing in the east.

Trains will travel at 225mph from 2026, slashing the journey time from London to Birmingham to 49 minutes.

But critics called the £32 billion HS2 scheme a "vanity project" that would cost every household £1,700, blight parts of north London and spoil tracts of countryside.

Transport Secretary Justine Greening promised a series of sweeteners for London and others who fear the impact of the construction, following lobbying by Mayor Boris Johnson who threatened to oppose the scheme.

A new 2.75-mile tunnel will be bored through Ruislip to Old Oak Common to reduce disruption to residents.

Click the image to enlarge it

Deeper cuttings will be dug on some other sections of the route to reduce noise. At least £1 billion of investment will go into Euston.

Other changes include a 1.4-mile tunnel near Amersham in Buckinghamshire and new tunnels or extensions to already-planned tunnels at Greatworth in Northamptonshire, Turweston in Buckinghamshire, Chipping Warden and Aston le Walls in Northamptonshire, Wendover in Buckinghamshire, and Long Itchington Wood in Warwickshire.

There were warnings of a Tory rebellion when the plans go to the Commons, although there was no sign of the threatened resignation by Welsh Secretary Cheryl Gillam.

Mr Johnson welcomed the changes and his allies said he deserved credit for forcing the Government to spend extra on the new tunnel by calling it a "deal breaker". The Mayor last year hit out at the plans, describing them as "perverse" and "inadequate".

A spokesman for Mr Johnson said: "The Mayor is pleased that the Government has announced this tunnel and that his voice has been heard."

Hammersmith & Fulham council said derelict industrial land will be transformed in the Old Oak Common redevelopment. Around a third of HS2 passengers are expected to transfer there, with links to Crossrail and Heathrow.

Mark Loveday, Hammersmith & Fulham's cabinet member for strategy, said: "HS2 is the fastest way to deliver much need new homes, jobs and opportunities in one of London's poorest areas.

"It will unleash the creation of a new business hub bigger than Canary Wharf, bringing thousands of affordable homes and jobs to London." Business groups were delighted. Baroness Valentine, chief executive of London First, said: "HS2 will bring much-needed capacity and reduce overcrowding but it must be an addition to, not a replacement for, extra aviation capacity.

"London needs better international connections to reach emerging markets and government must now focus its attention on how to provide them."

Ms Greening hailed the 140-mile scheme as a revival of the bold spirit of the bold Victorian railway pioneers and the post-war motorway planners.

Double-decker trains will be introduced eventually. Even the single-deckers will be up to 400 metres long with 1,100 seats. They will reach 250mph in places and link directly to the Channel Tunnel.

Ms Greening claimed it would pay for itself by generating economic benefits of £47 billion - a claim scorned by critics - as well as bringing quicker travel. Phase One to Birmingham, costing £16.4 billion, will be put in front of the Commons in a hybrid Bill next year, meaning lengthy debates and an arcane process.

Phase Two, a Y-shaped line to Manchester and Leeds, will take until 2032/33. Connections to existing lines should then cut journey times between London, and Edinburgh and Glasgow, to three-and-a-half hours.

But Jerry Marshall, chairman of Action Groups Against High Speed Two, said: "It is a disaster waiting to happen. HS2 will never pay for itself. The construction will wreak untold environmental damage and exacerbate rather than close the North-South divide."

Friends of the Earth's Craig Bennett said: "We need to revolutionise travel away from roads and planes - but pumping £32 billion into high-speed travel for the wealthy few while ordinary commuters suffer is not the answer."

Other measures for affected homeowners will include a streamlined purchase scheme if they need to sell; buying homes and renting them back while residents consider their options and easier small-claims for construction damage.

People in homes above tunnels will be offered before-and-after surveys and a legally-binding promise that HS2 will be permanently responsible for any subsidence.

Mike Crowhurst, chairman of the campaign group Railfuture, said: "It's disappointing that the Government cannot see the flaws in this route."

But John Longworth, director-general of the British Chambers of Commerce, said: "Businesses up and down the country will welcome this decision." Sources today said Mr Johnson would continue to lobby for new underground rail capacity between Euston and Victoria to ease pressure on the Tube when the HS2 line is completed.

Daniel Moylan of Transport for London said: "It is great news for people living in west London and is a welcome announcement. It shows how much lobbying the Mayor has done. This will make life much easier for people in the area."

Where will the route go?

The first phase will run from central London to Birmingham. A second phase would see HS2 continuing on a Y-shaped route to take in Leeds and Manchester.

The Government eventually wants stops in the East Midlands and South Yorkshire and links to the West Coast and East Coast main lines - allowing services to reach Newcastle, Liverpool, Glasgow and Edinburgh.

How fast will it be?

The trains will travel at 225mph and the project would cut journey times from London to Birmingham to only 49 minutes. Eventually, times from London to Scotland's major cities could be cut to about 3hrs 30 mins. London-Manchester and London-Leeds times would be reduced to 80 minutes.

How much will it cost?

The entire project is set to cost just over £32 billion. The Government believes it will generate economic benefits of nearly £44 billion over
60 years.

How has the route changed?

After huge opposition from campaigners in Tory heartlands, Transport Secretary Justine Greening has announced that about 22 miles of the amended route will now be underground - an increase of 50 per cent on the original plan.

As well as a 4.4 kilometre tunnel
in Ruislip, in north-west London, there will be new or extended tunnels at Amersham, Turweston and Wendover in Buckinghamshire; Greatworth, Chipping Warden and Aston le Walls in Northamptonshire; and Long Itchington Wood in Warwickshire.

When will it be finished?

This first phase of HS2 could be running by 2026, extending further north by 2033.