A HIGH-SPEED rail link which would cut the journey time from Liverpool to London could provide the economy with a £55bn boost, business leaders say.

The city is among 11 which could be linked by the £34bn network which would see a new fleet of trains pass from Glasgow and Edinburgh through Preston, Merseyside, Birmingham and on to the capital.

Network rail estimated that if the massive programme of building went ahead, the journey from Liverpool could be cut from 2 hours eight minutes to 1 hour 38 minutes.

Double decker trains were also envisaged to double the amount of passenger space and reduce CO2 levels by diverting commuters from their cars.

The British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) called for action to be stepped up, including a “binding agreement” from the major political parties committing the next government to press ahead with the scheme.

Construction of a high speed rail network should start during the next Parliament, as the business and environmental case has already been made, claimed the Revenues from high speed rail coupled with other benefits would be worth almost £55bn to the economy, it was argued.

David Frost, director general of the BCC, said: “One of the most crucial factors in enabling business growth is the quality of a country’s infrastructure.

“For this reason, we are putting our full backing behind a comprehensive high-speed rail network.

“Congestion on our transport system is already costing businesses £23bn a year in lost productivity.