I see Scotland and Wales are barely included in this plan. One link just over the Welsh border to Cardiff and links stopping in Glasgow and Edinburgh, ignoring the fact that the bulk of Scotland lies to the north of those cities.

Andy H, Glasgow, Scotland, UK

There is no particular mention of freight transport in this article. It is time to consider links from the CTRL to the West, Midlands and the North of this country so that cross-Channel freight can be carried without interruption from coast to destination.
This transport could take place at nigh

Laurie, Tunbridge Wells,

Awash with oil revenue from the North Sea; we've built roads and airports that will be starved of fuel shortly.
Investment in rail transport is welcome, but political dithering and short-sightedness means higher construction costs with oil at $200/bbl, it could have been built with oil at $10/bbl.

David Ede, Edinburgh, Scotland

This announcement is belated but welcome. Over the year since the HLOS, the DfT has conceded rail reopenings and now, electrification. Passenger growth estimates still do not account for high oil prices & a massive uplift in rail travel. When will policy catch up with changing reality?

Paul Davis, Birmingham, West Midlands

Yes good, but not great: is it really necessary to have two routes from London to Birmingham? And also, they all radiate out from London. I would like it if there was a line say, from Bristol to Birmingham, where it joins with the line going up north to allow high speed cross-country journeys.

Francis Phillips, Gloucester,

Although raped by the Beeching report, there is already a high speed network ready to be reopened, in most cases most of the works are there,just demonish several buildings
1) Great Central line (london-Sheffield-Manchester via woodhead)
2) Somerset & Dorset joint railway (London-Bath-Bournemouth

csimpson, cleckheaton, west yorkshire

If Richard Dyer is in favour you can bet it is a nonsense proposal

Peter Nunn, folkestone,

Unless there is planning reform, the cost will be excessive and we will all have to wait a very long time for this essential infrastructure.

Ian Martin, Stafford, England

You have to go further than Bristol.

Lets at least go to Plymouth.

Mike Batt, Liskeard, Cornwall

Its a brilliant idea. If it ever happens at all, it would improve travel around the UK as well as make it possible for links to Europe from the Midlands and the North. Britain has fallen too far behind in Rail travel and it's terrible, especially as we invented trains in the first place!

Lawrence, London,

The time has come to plan for links between the CTRL and the West, Midlands and North of Britain so that freight would be carried without interruption from the Channel to its destination. This transport could take place at night, but, if not, the CTRL should not be clogged with commuters.

Laurie, Tunbridge Wells,

A wonderful idea if it goes ahead and better far too late than never. The obvious criticism is that whilst Scotland gets two lines, Glagow and Edinburgh, the westward line from London only goes as far as Bristol: why does Wales not get a line to Cardiff? I would also add Waterloo to Southampton.

Richard, Spalding, England

We don't need 5 new HS lines, what we need is to extend HS1 from its present terminus at St Pancras first to Reading & Watford Junction, then fanning out across the country.
The planned London Snailrail should be abandoned and the Great Western line reserved for HS trains; Brunel would be proud !

Peter Hooper, Windsor, UK

If Network Rail are going to invest such vast quantities of cash into building new TGV style lines, why don't they look at the possibility of installing a maglev network with technology that's been tried and tested in Germany and China? At least such a network will be future proof.

Dave, London, United Kingdom

The worst of Beeching was that BR did not just close down lines - they wrecked them so that it would never be profitable to re-open them : bridges pulled down, sleepers and lines pulled up - now grass grows there. Listen to Flanders & Swann's song "Slow Train" and weep.

Simon Levene, Richmond, England

Please please please.. if we are going to do this, do not get NR involved. They continue to show their incompetence with what we currently have, never mind what we are planning.

Rob, Brum, UK

11 years in power and NL are only just thinking of this? Whatever happened to Prescott's much hyped integrated travel reviews? Same stupid incompetence as with power stations.Instead of pouring billions into the EU we should have been investing in infrastructure,power supply and security.

David, Oxford,

Sad isn't it. Remember Dr.Beeching closing all those lines in the 60's They wood have been profitable with the Diesel sets
if only he would have waited ,ccould be like a bus service on rail. Oh the past sins of our know all politicians

C.Smith, Burlington, Canada

On 6 June The Times published an article quoting the Railways Minister as saying completely the opposite! When Network Rail launches this formally on Monday please could a reporter from The Times ask what exactly is going on between them and their Minister - who pays the train operators who pay NR?

Dorian , Bath, UK

Yea, five new lines all paid for by the tax payer no doubt!! all for the increased profits of private rail companies.
They just need to have 25% more carrages than they do at present, something the private rail companies DON'T want to do, because it costs them more money.

David Diggins, Derby. , England.