A national consultation on the planned £32 billion high speed rail line ends today – as campaigners for it said the scheme will help create one million jobs.

But groups opposed to the scheme, the first phase of which is a £17bn line between London and Birmingham, said the costs to the environment and people’s homes was too high.

Consultation on the plan launched in February with the government travelling the country to try to persuade people of the merits of 225mph trains.

Transport chiefs warn there is no alternative because Britain’s existing rail lines will run out of space by 2024, two years before high speed trains would be launched.

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