Detailed plans to build a high-speed rail network in the UK will be announced next spring, transport secretary Andrew Adonis announced on Monday

A white paper, including details of timetable and funding, will be published by March 2010 if the government pursues proposals put forward by its advisers, he said.

The first north-south route will be London to the West Midlands and options for routes further north, including the North-west, the East Midlands, Yorkshire, the North-east and Scotland, are being explored. A full public consultation will be launched in autumn 2010.

Adonis also set out plans to electrify three major rail routes in the North-west to make rail travel faster and greener. The 拢200m programme will upgrade lines between Huyton and Wigan, Manchester and Euxton Junction and Blackpool North and Preston.

It comes on top of a 拢1.1bn programme to electrify the London to Swansea and Liverpool to Manchester lines, announced in July.

The minister was speaking as the first weekday services began on the high-speed Javelin train operation between Kent and London. It is the UK鈥檚 first full domestic high-speed service.