The British Chamber of Commerce (BCC) has stated that a new high-speed rail network is not in itself enough to rescue Britain's transport situation and provide the travel links that business requires.

"This is not a simple case of one plan ahead of another. We need high-speed rail to improve a crumbling transport infrastructure and to help the environment by reducing road congestion," said David Frost, director general of the BCC.

"UK plc also needs Heathrow expansion if we want to continue to compete with larger European hubs, otherwise we risk losing our reputation as one of the best places in the world to do business."

Frost was responding to a study published by 2M Group, a collection of local authorities opposed to a new runway at Heathrow and advocating a new rail network.

The 2M Group believe that a high-speed rail network would remove the need for the majority of domestic flights and could provide fast and environmentally friendly travel to European cities, eliminating the need for a third runway.