Metro Chairman Cllr Ryk Downes today welcomed transport minister Lord Adonis's announcement that the proposed High Speed Two line from London would reach Yorkshire - eventually.

"It's excellent news that Yorkshire and the Leeds City Region are on the high-speed rail map," he said. "But we are very disappointed that we will not see the benefits for almost 20 years.

"Research by Metro and South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive has shown that this important national infrastructure project could unlock £30bn-plus of benefits to Yorkshire.

"We believe that Yorkshire's competitiveness in the decades to come will depend heavily on fast rail links to the capital and the European markets beyond. Yorkshire businesses should be seeing this investment now.

David Brown, SYPTE Director General, said: "This is wonderful news that South and West Yorkshire are to be included in the extended high speed network beyond the capital.

"We have been making our argument very strongly that the combined economies of South and West Yorkshire make up a big part of the wealth generated in northern England so it is vital that they continue to be competitive in the decades to come.

Councillor Andrew Carter, joint leader of Leeds City Council said:

"A high speed rail network is vital to supporting UK economic growth and international competitiveness, but this network must be developed to the benefit of all parts of the country.

"By starting work on parallel routes to both the east and west of the Pennines we can ensure that the economies in both the North East and North West are supported and developed.

"Many of the local authorities in Yorkshire and Humber have joined a partnership with councils in the North East and North West to make sure that any high speed rail development benefits us all, rather than a select few."

With High Speed Two at least 17 years away, Metro believes that the existing rail network should not be forgotten.

"We must not lose sight of what can be achieved by much-needed improvements to existing lines such as the upgrade of the east coast route, Network Rail's 'Northern Hub' proposal and the enhancement of the trans-Pennine link that could make it a viable alternative to the congested M62," added Cllr Downes.

"Backed up by the investment in rolling stock that was promised in the Government's 2007 White Paper, these developments would bring massive economic benefits in a short space of time."