Fast track passes by

PROPOSALS to miss North Staffordshire off a new high-speed rail line have disappointed a local group.

Network Rail unveiled its preferred route for a new £34 billion line from London to Scotland yesterday.

The scheme aims to cut the journey time from the start of the route to the finish to just over two hours, but the nearest stops to Stoke-on-Trent will be Manchester and Birmingham.

Austin Hannaby, a member of the North Staffs Rail Promotion Group, says the city deserves to be included in the route.

The Blythe Bridge resident said: "I am not impressed with these plans. North Staffordshire is an absolutely massive area to miss out.

"The city of Stoke-on-Trent and the borough of Newcastle deserve more consideration."

The route will run from central London, via Birmingham, Manchester, Warrington, Liverpool and Preston to Glasgow and Edinburgh.

With trains reaching 200 mph, the line will offer up to 16 trains an hour to and from London and provide 9,100 seats per hour into the capital.

Although it will not be stopping in Stafford, MP David Kidney has welcomed the plans.

He said: "High speed rail in the West Midlands helps us to promote economic success here."