Politicians in the British capital are staunchly in favor of a high-speed rail project that would link London with northern England. But those who live near where the tracks would run aren't so sure. Though the government gave the enterprise the green light this week, many are hoping to block it.

The British government has long been consistent in its support: The planned high-speed rail link between London and the north of England is as revolutionary as the invention of the steam train in the 19th century, intoned former secretary of state for transport Philip Hammond, who is now defense secretary, in October of 2010. It will create jobs and improve the competitiveness of Britain's economy, the government has promised.

But there has been no lack of opposition to the £32 billion (€38.8 billion, $49 billion) prestige project. Indeed, it has taken two years and countless consultations before cabinet approval could finally be granted for the first, 180-kilometer stretch connecting London and Birmingham. Current Transport Secretary Justine Greening gave the green light earlier this week.

Now the planning can finally begin. The goal is to cut travel time between the two large cities by half an hour, to just 50 minutes, by 2026. The new trains are to travel at speeds of up to 360 kilometers per hour (223 mph). A second construction phase would then extend the connection to Manchester, Liverpool and Leeds, making it possible for passengers to reach northern England in just an hour and a half.

High-speed train travel, of course, has been a staple on the Continent for decades. Germany's ICE trains and France's TGV zip between major cities and travel hundreds of routes each day. Except for trips between the far north of Germany to Munich or Stuttgart in the south, for years the train has been the quickest way to go.