Transport minister predicts end of the line for domestic flights

UK domestic and short-haul flights will largely disappear within the next 20 years to be replaced by an extensive high-speed rail network, according to the new transport secretary Lord Adonis.

Speaking in his first interview since taking up the position as part of the recent government reshuffle, Adonis told the Sunday Times that he was fully committed to government proposals for a high-speed rail network linking London to Birmingham, Manchester and Glasgow, even if it meant the demise of short-haul flights.

"High-speed rail is not only important for providing additional rail capacity between our biggest conurbations," he said. "I would like to see domestic and short-haul flights largely replaced by high-speed rail over the next 20 years."

He argued that the development of a high-speed rail link allowing people to travel from London to Manchester in one hour and 22 minutes, and to Glasgow in two hours 42 minutes would make trains the default choice for most passengers, resulting in more comfortable stories and significantly lower carbon emissions.

"The evidence internationally is that passengers want to have the choice of making these journeys by train rather than plane, because [trains offer] greater convenience, comfort and [are] much less hassle than going through airports," he said adding that the success of high-speed rail in France and Spain had led to airlines axing some short-haul routes.

Plans for a high-speed rail link estimated to cost up to £30bn are yet to be finalised, but the government is investigating a number of different proposals, including making Heathrow a dual rail and air hub, and a final decision is expected early next year. It looks highly likely that the plan will receive the green light, with both the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats also signalling their support for high-speed rail links.

In the interview, Adonis said he also expected to see high-speed rail increasingly replace short-haul flights to Europe, predicting that by 2029 many cities in northern Europe will be reachable by train within three and a half hours.

However, while the commitment to rail is likely to be welcomed by green groups, Adonis insisted that a third runway at Heathrow would be required even if government estimates prove accurate and the number of short-haul passengers using the airport falls by 9.4m a year.

He also ruled out proposals for a national road pricing scheme, arguing that the government was committed to alternative means of tackling road congestion.