THE company behind plans for a 225mph train line between London, Heathrow and Birmingham has sparked outrage by saying a route through the Chilterns is “inescapable”.

If given the go-ahead, the High Speed 2 project would see the world's fastest train thunder from London to Birmingham in under an hour, with a further expansion to Scotland possible by 2020.

The Chiltern Hills stretch north-east from the River Thames to the M1 and the company will not be drawn into giving more detail about the route.

There are fears the line could run beside the existing Chiltern Railway corridor, through Gerrards Cross, Beaconsfield, High Wycombe and Princes Risborough. The company says it has investigated the existing broad corridors “in detail”.

Sir David Rowlands, Chairman of High Speed Two, said: “If Ministers decide to go ahead with a high speed rail line from London to the West Midlands that has a viable link to Heathrow Airport then going through the Chilterns will be inescapable.

“However, HS2 knows where every site of special scientific interest, National Trust property and listed building is in the Chilterns and is confident that the route options it gives to Ministers will manage to avoid them all.

“Nor will these route options take out any towns or villages although, of course, some buildings may have to be sacrificed.”

His comments brought anger from conservation groups, which are desperate to preserve the Chilterns, a protected Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Chairman of the Chiltern Society John Taylor said: “We will fight him all the way to the House of Commons.

“It's not the job of an unelected civil servant to retire the Chilterns.”

Meanwhile the Chilterns Conservation Board would rather see the existing Chiltern Railway updated and made more efficient.

Information Officer Claire Forrest said: “The high speed line would have a devastating impact – wherever it goes in the Chilterns it will destroy some of the finest landscapes in the UK.

“It should avoid the Chilterns completely but we've had meetings with High Speed 2 and they weren't offering any other routes.”

High Speed 2 began planning routes earlier this year and in January will submit a report to the Government with a preferred route, including options.

The company is not publishing route options because of the effects this had on house prices in Kent before High Speed 1 was constructed.

Sir David Rowlands said: “In the early stages of HS1, British Rail’s decision to publish lots of route options blighted Kent and the problem continued even after they came down to a single option.

“That is why HS2 is being so careful not to let options run around in public to avoid problems with blight. HS1 itself was sensitively designed to minimise impacts and the reality of the high speed line in Kent is that its impacts are much less than what was feared.”

The National Trust is “worried” about its properties and land in the Chilterns but regional director for the Thames and Solvent, Patrick Begg, said: “It's not absolutely clear what the business case is for a high speed line.

We want to see the best result for the Chilterns but until we see the full report then we can't really comment.”