Shadow transport secretary Theresa Villiers has confirmed that the the Tories had turned down an offer to view a copy of government plans for the construction of a high-speed rail link from London to the Midlands (see our story 29 December 2009 “High-speed rail plans to be submitted to government”) saying they were "not going to take Labour's route on trust" and would "reserve the right to look again" at plans once they are made public.

The government said it wanted to build a cross-party consensus on the issue but both the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats want a 250mph rail route instead of a third runway at Heathrow. The government wants the high-speed line as well as the airport expansion.

A White Paper on the new line linking London with the West Midlands is due next month and will be followed by a public consultation on options for the route.

Theresa Villiers said on BBC Radio 4's Today programme the paper would be "a very important contribution" to the debate, but the Conservatives did not want it "to close down the options".

"We don't want there to be some cosy deal reached behind closed doors which closes out the communities that may be affected by the route," she said.

"We're not going to take Labour's route on trust. We're going to reserve the right to look again at the route."

She said there were "important areas of consensus" between the parties on the issue but the Conservatives would not look at the report until the public could see it as well.

Transport Secretary Lord Adonis said he was "very surprised" at Ms Villiers' comments, as the Conservatives had been "engaging" in the process so far.

"Without political consensus on the principle of high-speed rail, it is unlikely to be taken forward as a national project in the next decade," he said.

"But there will of course be public consultation on any route proposal put forward by the government."

Norman Baker, Liberal Democrat transport spokesman said: "This peculiar decision of the Tories coupled with [shadow chancellor George] Osborne's spending cuts strongly suggest that the Tories are trying to kick high-speed rail into the long grass.

Early plans suggest the new line would involve 400-metre long trains, capable of carrying 1,100 passengers, and would come at a cost of £60bn.

If the government accepts plans given to it by HS2, the company set up to deliver the project, building work could begin in 2017, with the first trains running in 2025.

Theresa Villiers said that if the Tories won the next election, it would take another four to five years of planning and preparation before construction could start on a new line.

That time frame would increase if they decided to rework the route suggested by Labour but she added: "We are still determined to deliver this project and deliver it in a timely and cost effective way."