CONTROVERSIAL plans for 300mph levitating trains to run between the North-East and London are being drawn up by the Conservatives.

The Tories today announced a series of options for more high-speed rail routes in the UK - even though experts have branded them a low priority and "irresponsible".

The Conservatives said they would press ahead with feasibility work on three major rail project options, including rail links using 300mph magnetic levitation (maglev) technology.

The Northern Echo revealed almost a year ago that ministers were considering using the "floating" trains, which would cut more than an hour off a journey from London to Newcastle.

But in September this year, a maglev train travelling at 125mph crashed in Germany killing more than 20 people, and the Institute of Civil Engineers recently said using similar trains in the UK would be inappropriate and irresponsible.

Earlier this month, Sir Rod Eddington, the former British Airways chief executive, said in his report on transport requirements that a new North-South high-speed rail link was a low priority.

But Shadow Transport Secretary Chris Grayling dismissed the criticism, and said: "We would not be doing our jobs properly if we were not looking at the longer term as well as short-term challenges."

The Tory options also include the construction of a high-speed rail network in the UK similar to that in France, where ultra-fast TGV trains run, which would initially involve extending the Channel Tunnel Rail Link northwards.

Also under consideration would be the development of a dedicated freight route, possibly using derelict or under-used rail corridors.

The work will focus in particular on costs, commercial potential, the impact of the developments and their ability to lure traffic off the roads.

Brian Milnes, the chairman of the Tees Valley branch of lobby group Transport 2000, welcomed parts of the proposals, but said reopening old routes for freight was a better option than maglev for the North-East.

He said: "We believe 140mph is high enough for a country like Britain, and the priority should be getting the low-speed lines up to better standards.

"Rather than going for utterly high speed, which in a country like this would not make much difference to times, we should be looking at improving the lines where the speed is as low as 25mph or 50mph.

"We would like to see more freight transferred from the roads to rail, and there are many lines in the North-East which could be reopened or improved to meet that."

Mr Grayling said: "Transport is one of Britain's big headaches. In the immediate future, we have to start making a difference to Britain's congestion problems quickly.

"We believe that the right mix of smaller projects, for example longer trains, improvements to individual bottlenecks on the roads, and making improvements to transport interchanges, represents the best way to start making a difference quickly."