Plans for a new high-speed rail network, featuring trains that can travel at 250 miles per hour have been announced by the UK Transport Secretary Lord Adonis.
The plans feature a route for a new line between London and Birmingham with a future extension to northern England and Scotland.
Transport secretary Lord Adonis gave his backing to the high speed train scheme, telling the House of Commons: "The government's view is that high speed rail could be the most efficient and sustainable way to provide more capacity between these conurbation.
But a high speed link will not be coming to Scotland any time soon.
Under the government's plan, the first such line would link London to Birmingham at a cost of up to £17billion.
It is hoped the line would then continue north on either side of the Pennines all the way to Glasgow and Edinburgh. If that happens, it would slash journey times.
Currently passengers getting on a London-bound train in Glasgow can expect a journey time of around four hours and 20 minutes. If the high speed train line comes all the way north though, that could be slashed to just over two and a half hours.
But work on the 335-mile network will not start until 2017 at the earliest.
Scotish Secretary Jim Murphy MP said: "This is a historic announcement by the Labour government, the fastest trains in history,
250mph, initially going to Leeds and Manchester, and then we're committed to getting it to Scotland as well.
Mr Murphy says the Scottish Government will have to pay its share if the line s to be extended north.
Scottish Transport Minister Stewart Stevenson MSP said: "It is of course something we will discuss with the UK government. Cross border services are a matter for Westminster rather than for ourselves in Scotland."
Until that disagreement is resolved, Scottish passengers will miss out on the full benefits of high speed rail.
