HIGH-SPEED rail should be extended north of the Border to challenge the dominance of air travel between Scotland and London, the Transport Minister has said.
Keith Brown said there was a strong case to link Glasgow and Edinburgh into the HS2 network, which is currently planned to stretch only as far north as Leeds.
Mr Brown added that there was a lot of "behind the scenes collaboration" between Holyrood and Westminster in trying to find a solution which would include Scotland in the network.
Phase One, linking London to Birmingham, has faced opposition from environmental campaigners who argue it will destroy the countryside.
The Department for Transport said that HS2 Phase Two would virtually halve journey times between London and Manchester from two hours and eight minutes to one hour and eight minutes.
Mr Brown also confirmed that operators applying for the new Scotrail franchise will be required to show how they will coordinate timetables with local bus links in an effort to make the public transport system more integrated. The current Scotrail franchise, operated by First Group, will expire in March 2015.
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