"Mr Harris’s comments contrast sharply with Labour’s 2005 election manifesto, which pledged to “look at the feasibility and affordability of a new North-South high-speed link”."

No it doesn't. They did look at the feasibility and found the proposal environmentally infeasible. Good decision.

Rich, London, UK

This isn't about high speed train vs car/plane. It's about high speed train vs lower speed train and I'm pleased to see that the government has made an environmentally responsible decision.

Rich, London, UK

The issue is simpler than it seems. More electrical rail would mean more coal burning electrical generation. A high speed line would alsio mean very large emissions of carbon to build it.

When coal burning electricity and high speeds are allowed for grams per train paxkm exceeds air

J.H.M. Russell, St Austell,

Oh god ! here we are again .
We took 10 years to build the high speed link for the Eurostar onto our sores ... but we did it.

Why refusing what alreday existes in others countries including germany, Spain , france , japan .
We need a rail network Vs polluting airplanes

mark, london,

Easy answer: stop MPs getting expenses for domestic flights.

Neill Foster, Aylesbury,

Do enough people want to go to the North to make a high speed link viable? Whatever, it’s interesting that the Govt, with its long experience of HSR, disputes its advantages. So every other European country is mistaken? As Desmond says, even toilets are too expensive to invest in in the UK.

Nick, St Ouen, France

This is NOT rocket or aeroplane science.
Any fool can see the environmental advantage of rail over air or road
Is the government criminally plain stupid or what?
The government subsidises the airlines and encourages road use whilst not investing in the railways.
England is the poor man of Europe

Peter Goddard, Le Rouret, France, EU

Sounds like the British government will soon have its population driving by horse and cart and everything carried by donkey. If the increase in power consumption would be 90 per cent (isn't someone going to challenge this ludicrous figure?) then what would be the increase if everyone flew instead?

B Redfern, Krsko, Slovenia

Once again the UK is out of step with the rest of Europe. Do the people making these decisions ever travel on trains in Britain. The whole network is an absolute disgrace and a national embaressment. Trains are dangerously overcrowded, uncomfortable, slow and completely unreliable.

paul, cumbria, uk

This is nothing short of a national embarrassment on a par with the state of Heathrow Airport. By 2020, even Marocco and Portugal will have more km of high speed train track than the UK! How can we possibly consider ourselves an advanced economy with an infrastructure like ours.

Ben Marlow, Guildford, UK

Whether or not the Minister's claim on energy consumption is right, he's ignoring the huge savings in energy - and road congestion - that could ensue from many more opting to use rail rather than cars. Along with today's other news about cuts in funding for the railways, it's truly depressing.

Barry, Wallington, UK

Round and round we go with the governments' position on high speed rail, it's worse than the circle line. The idea of the economic geography being different is typical of someone who forgets everything north of the Watford Gap. Funny how the DfT doesn't think green over Heathrow's 3rd runway!

Matt, Huddersfield, UK

The cancellatoin of HSR avoids the hole in Nulabour's financial plans becoming any deeper. I would wish that the costs for London to host the Olympics be considered against the cost of HSR link. I object to the funds for HSR being reallocated to fund over-budget spending on London's infrastructure.

gmac, Kassel, Germany

"A HST produces about 90 grams of CO2 per passenger-kilometre,"

That's more than an average car (1-5 passengers)will emit in 2020, when a HST might be built.

Much better to spend the money creating more 125mph capacity, e.g double decker trains, Chiltern line upgrade to Birmingham etc..

Alex, Tunbridge Wells,

last week people were debating on radio 4 whether or not Shrewsbury should invest in more public toilets, they weren't too keen on the costs involved - so typical of this country, we're not prepared to invest in anything. If we won't invest in public lavatories, what chance a high speed rail line?!

Mark Desmond, Birmingham, UK

"...scrabbling around for excuses ..." In a nutshell! And when these specious excuses have been fully exposed, they will say.."We didn't intend that at all, what we meant was....?...." Not to worry though, it couldn't happen for at five years, even if it was given the go-ahead right away!

S. Barraclough, Huddersfield, W. Yorkshire

Complete madness. Having 300 people drive their own cars 400 miles up to Scotland is a greener option than whizzing them there in a train? Lets be honest, the only way that rail can compete with the huge hidden subsidy enjoyed by road and the low cost airlines is on speed.

geoff, donostia, spain

Its really disappointing that this important long term ivestment in the UK, will not be made. The benefits would be massive, and it would effect the whole of the UK not just London.

Richard Smart, Portsmouth, UK

Since the amount of CO2 produced is a result of the manner of Electricity Generation the figures used in the Governments argument are irrelevant. EIther High speed trains are necesary in their own right or not, it is down to Government to arrange for Power to be available in its 'Greenest' form.

Barry Puris, Havant, England

Any HSR option could be coupled with renewable energy to power it, reducing CO2 even further. In France, the lines are powered by Nuclear, leading to a fraction of the CO2 compared to airlines.

HSR would free up classic lines for freight, which is 5-10 times more fuel efficient than trucks.

Rob, South coast, UK

Strange most makers data for short haul planes give about 20 grams carbon kilometre say 70 grams co2.a large car does about 210 grams kilometre on the test cycle .The Train figures are also given per seat and they are a third full on average.Not so green .Then there is the carbon used for the track !

g p edlin, london,

The French TGV operates at 300km/h rather than 350. Due to the shorter distances 250km/h would probably be a more realistic maximum speed for a high speed train here.

How about giving Heathrow decent rail connections to Reading, Watford, Clapham, Guildford and Gatwick? The track is mostly there.

Luke, London, UK

Agree with Ven (USA)). Compare HSR to flying or driving eg. from London to Manchester or London to Edinburgh/Glasgow. This country needs a a non-stop HSR for these routes to effectively compete with BAA, short-haul airlines and private car use (the real non-green option).

Nimesh, Aberdeen, UK

Agree with Ven (USA)). Compare HSR to flying or driving eg. from London to Manchester or London to Edinburgh/Glasgow. This country needs a a non-stop HSR for these routes (and more) to effectively compete with BAA, short-haul airlines and private car use (the real non-green option).

Nimesh, Aberdeen, UK

The goverment has failed us all when we will wake up to this fact and take direct action, polticians just stumble from one feasco to the next these days, when will get real cahnge when will we get some one who actaul does something?

MR W Jones, Liverpool, England

High speed rail is five times more fuel efficient than short haul air travel. It frees up capacity on classic railways for freight. That in turn is five times more fuel efficient than road haulage. Reducing road congestion improves fuel economy.

Very green if you look at the whole picture.

David Ede, Edinburgh, Scotland

If Labour do not have a vision for HSR the 21st Century, perhaps another party will step in ?
The present Snailrail / Crossrail project for London should be abandoned and replaced with the extension of High Speed 1 to Reading & Watford Junction.
Oh Lord, I had a dream !

Peter Hooper, Windsor, UK

I'm still waiting for Eurostar to operate north of London, as we were promised way back in 1994.

Paul, Coventry,

Just more steps in the road to us becoming a third world nation.

Paul Downes, Milton Keynes, Bucks

As pointed out in the article, those excuses are WEAK. HSR is very green even when going 190-225mph when compared to airline and passenger cars. Seriously, people should do their research before spouting off such ludicrous claims........

Ven, Columbus, USA

Another Government some & mirrors act to mask their lack of a national strategic planning. An integrated transport strategy has been desperately needed since Dr Beeching decimated our rail network. But forbid it that any alternative be offered that erodes the Treasury cash cow of private transport.

Alastair, Rye, UK