Members of the Scottish government have called on Westminster to consider proposals to extend high-speed rail initiatives to Scotland.

At present, the High Speed Two (HS2) project will end in the north of England (either in Leeds or Manchester), despite its £50 billion price tag.

Scottish infrastructure minister Keith Brown said that the initiative could be “transformative” for the country, and generate £25 billion for the economy.

He added: “High-speed rail is an opportunity to rebalance the economy, spreading economic activity by linking our great cities with faster journey times and better connectivity.”

A recent survey by Transform Scotland found that over 90 per cent of respondents wanted to see high-speed rail links in the country.

Mr Brown also claimed that demand for rail travel between London and Glasgow had increased by 144 per cent since 2007, as well as a 191 per cent rise between Manchester and Scotland, and a 261 per cent increase between Birmingham and Scotland.