THE Scottish Government will present its business case for a high-speed rail link between Glasgow and Edinburgh next year, transport minister Keith Brown has told MSPs.
A report on the costs and economic benefits is being prepared for publication next spring, he said.
Ministers promised last year to create a fast link between the cities, cutting journey times to less than 30 minutes by 2024.
The scheme is designed to tie in with any high-speed route from England. The UK Government's HS2 project is scheduled to reach Leeds and Manchester by 2033, though no firm plans have been made to extend the route further north.
Mr Brown told Holyrood's infrastructure committee the Glasgow to Edinburgh high-speed route had the potential to boost rail capacity, reduce journey times and lead to new stations being built.
He said that even at this stage, it was possible to see the potential for "pretty huge" economic benefits.
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