RAILNEWS EXCLUSIVE The Transport Secretary Andrew Adonis has revealed that he's been holding informal discussions with the other major parties to improve the chances of a cross-party consensus on High Speed rail. Lord Adonis also told Railnews that he has no intention of serving under any other government if Labour loses the forthcoming election.

The Transport Secretary has already been talking to both Theresa Villiers of the Conservatives and Norman Baker of the Liberal Democrats about the prospects for a domestic High Speed network. But he warned that no formal agreement is possible until the government's own High Speed 2 company publishes its report at the end of this year.

Lord Adonis said: ‘I think there is a great opportunity to forge a consensus in High Speed Rail. Until we actually have the plans from the High Speed 2 company of course it won't be possible to discuss a concrete proposition with the other parties, and there's a big difference between people being in favour of HSR in principle and people uniting behind a concrete plan. But my aim, once we have the plan, is to discuss with the other political parties how we might take it forward, and I'm hopeful we can forge a consensus.’

However, he moved to deny the rumours that he could be willing to join the next government, even if Labour doesn't hold the majority. ‘I will join a future Labour government, but I will not join any government which is not a Labour government,’ he said.

The Transport Secretary was speaking at a Parliamentary event arranged by Greater Manchester Integrated Transport Authority to set out its vision for a Manchester rail hub, which could include a High Speed route serving the north west.