PRESSURE is to be put on the Government to ensure that high speed trains halt at key Cumbrian stations instead of hurtling straight through once HS2 is operational.

The £56bn line on which locomotives are expected to reach speeds of 250mph is due to reach Wigan by 2033. From there London trains will continue over existing tracks to Scotland. But it has now emerged that they will not stop between Preston and Glasgow or Edinburgh, forcing Cumbrian passengers to change at Preston.

The news has enraged business leaders and politicians who are calling for a government re-think and have already started lobbying hard.

Rob Johnston, Chief Executive of Cumbria Chamber of Commerce, said: “It strikes us as bizarre that HS2 trains would hurtle through the county without stopping, given that Cumbria has so much to offer.

“How are we expected to boost Cumbria’s tourism sector if we make it more difficult for tourists to come, and how are we supposed to host nationally-significant infrastructure projects such as Moorside?”

HS2 is adamant that it will bring significant benefits to Cumbria.

The fastest journey to London from Carlisle will be 154 minutes, down from 195 minutes now, while from Penrith the fastest journey will be cut from 177 minutes to 138, and from Oxenholme from 154 minutes to 115. The new timings include 10 minutes to change trains at Preston.

“Passengers don’t want to change trains and, as soon as you introduce a change, you have the potential for a missed connection," said Mr Johnston. “We will be lobbying government directly, and using our influence through the British Chambers of Commerce, to change this.

“It’s imperative that Cumbria doesn’t lose its direct rail service to the capital. If that were to happen, it would certainly damage our economy.”

HS2’s proposals do allow for through trains from Cumbria to Birmingham without a change.

And Westmorland and Lonsdale MP Tim Farron has tabled a motion in Parliament calling on the Government to amend the plans so that high speed trains will stop at Oxenholme, Penrith and Carlisle.

“All of us in Cumbria have helped pay the huge bills for building HS2, but all we will see of those fast trains is a blur as they speed through our county without even stopping," he said. “This is a huge slap in the face – especially for local businesses.

“After London, the Lake District is Britain's biggest visitor destination - it is simply madness not to have the new fast trains stopping here.”

A new franchise, West Coast Partnership, is due to take over the West Coast Main Line from Virgin in 2019 and will operate HS2 services when they start running between London and Birmingham in 2026.

It has yet to be awarded, although the Government announced a shortlist of bidders this summer. The franchise holder will be able to make a commercial decision on where trains stop.

The Chamber is planning to lobby the successful bidder to ensure there are stops at Oxenholme, Penrith and Carlisle, and is already mobilising support for its campaign.