'Bullet trains' for world's oldest rail network
London: Britain's first "bullet trains" were set to enter service in London on Monday, bringing high-speed travel to the world's oldest rail network.
Government spending cuts prompted by the global recession may stunt plans to extend the project.
The 220 kilometres per hour trains, made in Japan by Hitachi Ltd., will halve journey times from north Kent to the UK capital's financial district using the High Speed 1 line built to carry Channel Tunnel services to Paris and Brussels.
UK Transport Secretary Andrew Adonis said that the new expresses will act as a catalyst for construction of a High Speed 2 route running north from London and slashing journey times to Birmingham, Manchester and other UK cities.
Christian Wolmar, author of Broken Rails, a history of Britain's railways, said he doubts the line will get built.
"I have a lot of scepticism about this," Wolmar said. "I'm in favour in principle, but this should have happened 30 years ago. Construction of a high-speed network would have to span economic cycles so it might be better just to improve what we've got."
Britain was the first country to build a railway system during the Industrial Revolution, establishing the first passenger line between Stockton and Darlington and the first intercity service from Liverpool to Manchester.
The ageing infrastructure has limited speeds.
Capacity on High Speed 1 is only 40 per cent utilised, allowing the Southeastern rail franchise run by Go-Ahead Group Plc to introduce a high-speed commuter service using trains from Hitachi.
Government spending cuts prompted by the global recession may stunt plans to extend the project.
The 220 kilometres per hour trains, made in Japan by Hitachi Ltd., will halve journey times from north Kent to the UK capital's financial district using the High Speed 1 line built to carry Channel Tunnel services to Paris and Brussels.
UK Transport Secretary Andrew Adonis said that the new expresses will act as a catalyst for construction of a High Speed 2 route running north from London and slashing journey times to Birmingham, Manchester and other UK cities.
Christian Wolmar, author of Broken Rails, a history of Britain's railways, said he doubts the line will get built.
"I have a lot of scepticism about this," Wolmar said. "I'm in favour in principle, but this should have happened 30 years ago. Construction of a high-speed network would have to span economic cycles so it might be better just to improve what we've got."
Britain was the first country to build a railway system during the Industrial Revolution, establishing the first passenger line between Stockton and Darlington and the first intercity service from Liverpool to Manchester.
The ageing infrastructure has limited speeds.
Capacity on High Speed 1 is only 40 per cent utilised, allowing the Southeastern rail franchise run by Go-Ahead Group Plc to introduce a high-speed commuter service using trains from Hitachi.
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