Transport secretary Philip Hammond has announced plans to sell off the country's first high speed railway - High Speed 1 (HS1) - as part efforts to tackle the deficit.

The government is now inviting interested operators to come forward with bids for the 68-mile (109km) route, which runs between London and the Channel Tunnel and includes Ashford and Stratford stations. HS1 is currently wholly-owned by London and Continental, which is directly owned by the Department for Transport (DfT). Revenues are received from Eurostar and Southeastern trains for using the route.

Hammond said: "High Speed 1 is a national success story and a world class railway operating to international standards. The money generated by this sale will make an early significant contribution to the crucial task of reducing the public sector debt. "The government does not have to run everything directly - we need to take prompt action where private enterprise can provide both a better deal and a superior service to the public."