Birmingham has launched a bid to become the engineering hub of the future High Speed rail network in Britain.

The Leader of the city council Mike Whitby told a fringe meeting at the Conservative Party Conference that the city's engineering heritage, central location and readily available skills-base meant it was ‘the only logical choice’.

He explained: 'Birmingham’s experience, capacity and engineering skills-base is unparalleled by  any other city sitting on the network, making us the only logical choice to host the large scale engineering and train valeting facilities which will be required to operate the network. Not only would locating these services in Birmingham make sense for the train operators, but it would also reap great benefits for the city, directly creating hundreds of skilled and semi-skilled jobs, and many more besides in the local supply chain. The West Midlands-based lines also represent the only stretches of the  proposed network which every single train will have to pass through en route between London and all onward destinations.'

Cllr Whitby was supported by Paul Kehoe, who is CEO of Birmingham International Airport. He said: 'The first intercity railway from the capital was the London to Birmingham railway built in 1837. From Birmingham the routes eventually spread out to reach other key cities in the north. I am convinced that this is how it will happen with the High Speed renaissance as well.'