So it looks like High Speed Rail is finally gathering pace and getting closer to becoming reality.

On 21 May, the Minister of State for Transport - Lord Andrew Adonis, delivered a keynote address on High Speed Rail at a meeting of civil engineers and leading business figures in the West Midlands.

The event provided a platform for the Minister to reinforce his commitment to High Speed Rail in the UK and in particular to Birmingham and the West Midlands. In his speech, Lord Adonis revealed that he is "more than ever convinced that a north-south high-speed rail line in Britain is now just a matter of dates".

The Transport Minister gave his perspectives on international high speed rail development, gained on recent visits to Japan, France, Germany, Italy, and Spain. Citing successful examples from these countries, Lord Adonis concluded that "the issue for us in Britain is not whether we follow suit, but when and how".

Lord Adonis' speech, delivered to over 150 leading professionals representing the business community, the civil engineering profession, local government and the transport sector, also presented an opportunity to examine the potential economic and social impact of High Speed Rail on the future regeneration of Birmingham and other towns and cities in the UK.

The most likely proposal to come forward for construction will be to take High Speed Rail from London to Birmingham via Heathrow. A secondary phase of works will then extend the line to Manchester, Leeds and Scotland. What this means is better journey times between major UK cities. Typical journey time savings between Leeds and London and Birmingham and London will be 35 and 25 minutes respectively.

In a knock on effect it is widely believed that High Speed Rail will be the catalyst for a more integrated UK economy, linking London and Heathrow with the rapidly developing economies of Leeds, Manchester, Sheffield and Birmingham.