High-speed tilting trains which will slash the time of rail journeys between Birmingham and Scotland were launched yesterday.

The completion of West Coast Main Line upgrade work north of Preston is the penultimate phase of work on the troubled £8 billion project.

It had been due to cost £2.1 billion, be completed in 2002 and allow Virgin's Pendolino trains to travel at 140 mph.

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However, engineering costs exploded following the Hatfield rail disaster in 2000 and, despite the quadrupling of the price tag, the track cannot handle trains above 125 mph - bringing the route back to 1970s speeds.

The Virgin Pendolinos will now be able to travel the 401-mile route from London to Glasgow in under four-andahalf hours, slashing 50 minutes off the journey time.

Yesterday, Transport Secretary Alistair Darling boarded the 9.49am Virgin train at Euston Station. He hailed the journey as an " extremely good day for rail travel".

Network Rail, which has been involved in the railway infrastructure, hopes the upgrade and investment will allow trains travelling from Scotland to be able to compete with air travel.