Calls to abandon High Speed 2 in favour of reopening former railway lines, increasing capacity on existing routes and making trains longer have been rejected by the Transport Secretary. Patrick McLoughlin was asked on Tuesday at a conference in London whether he would reconsider the project’s future in view of several alternative suggestions.

Independent railway consultant Paul Salverson put forward the case for reinstating the 'Midland line' through the Peak District between Manchester and Matlock in Derbyshire. This, he said, would provide additional capacity from North West England down to the East Midlands and the capital “in a much quicker timeframe than HS2”.

And Mr McLoughlin was also asked whether his department had fully explored the ideas of introducing more services on existing lines and increasing the number of coaches on trains

On the first point the Transport Secretary replied: "Yes we have looked at whether the Matlock to Manchester line could be reopened. But I don’t think that is going to happen because so much infrastructure (along the route) has been taken away."

He added that former Transport Minister Barbara Castle had in 1968 "made the mistake of closing that route and today we regret its closure". But he also made the point that "a century ago when the line was built, people protested then too."

On the question of making better use of existing rail infrastructure and train services he replied: "A lot of the Pendolino trains on the West Coast Main Line have been extended in length. But we are seeing a huge growth in rail passengers and demand keeps rising. So we do need to increase capacity and High Speed 2 is the right way to do that."

Mr McLoughlin went on to say that cities served by High Speed 2 should see an expansion of new housing on brownfield sites, "meaning less development in the countryside and less suburban sprawl".

He added that his department had listened to rural communities, fearful about losing countryside to the proposed first stage of the railway between London and Birmingham. More than half of the route, he said, will be in tunnel or cuttings and of the 21km through the Chilterns only around 3km will be above ground.

The Transport Secretary added that he is "absolutely determined" that the rail route will not stop at Birmingham and said it must, in due course, continue all the way to Scotland. "Before Christmas I hope to announce the two routes to Manchester and Leeds," he said. Mr McLoughlin was speaking at the Campaign to Protect Rural England's annual lecture.