Plans for a high speed rail link from the West Midlands to London must complement regional transport strategies to bring the most economic growth, the region’s transport authority has heard.

Coun Timothy Huxtable (Con, Bournville) said having a high-speed rail link in the West Midlands would bring excellent benefits.

But he also warned it was imperative that plans were in line with priorities for the region.

While addressing Centro, the West Midlands Integrated Transport Authority (ITA), Coun Huxtable said: “If we can get this right a high-speed rail link will complement a lot of our strategies as a region and it will help the regional economy.

“But if we get this wrong, it can only hinder what we want to do in the West Midlands.

The Department for Transport has formed the High Speed Two (HS2) Company to develop and implement the high speed link between London and the West Midlands.

If the plans get the go-ahead, commuters could travel to London from the West Midlands in less than an hour at speeds of up to 200mph.

A report presented to Centro states that the HS2 Company will investigate the potential to run trains into both Birmingham city centre and Birmingham International Airport as a parkway station.

Wolverhampton councillor Judith Rowley (Lab, Blakenhall) was keen to find out the location of the route, adding: “We need to understand the route and where it will pick up passengers.”

Centro’s director of Rail and Rapid Transit Nigel Pennington said: “There is no timescale on a single decision about a single route.”