A HIGH speed railway line will be built through the Buckinghamshire countryside, the Transport Secretary confirmed today.

Philip Hammond MP this afternoon told the House of Commons the controversial plans for the HS2 project will go through the Chilterns Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

But he said parts of the line between Amersham and Wendover would be covered using so-called 'green bridges' and 'green tunnels' in a bid to reduce the visual impact on the countryside.

A 900-metre tunnel will be built near South Heath and another one 150 metres long will also be constructed on the section between Amersham and Little Missenden.

He added the amended plans would also “reduce severance of public rights of way” in the AONB.

Mr Hammond told the House that up to half of the original High Speed rail report produced in March had been changed – but the suggested route would be the one the Government would look to pursue.

A consultation over the plans will be launched in the New Year, which Mr Hammond said would be the “biggest and most wide-ranging ever taken” by Parliament.

Plans to connect the new route to the existing high speed railway line in Kent were also revealed, with a separate spur line to Heathrow Airport and Crossrail mooted.

Labour MP Maria Eagles said her party supported the scheme, joking there would be more members within the Coalition Government who would oppose the project.

But the plans were slammed by Labour's former Health Secretary Frank Dobson.

The Holborn and St Pancras MP said: “They ought to go back to the drawing board. The idea that the connection of a significant network is going to be dependent on a spur going from HS1 to HS2 is preposterous. They really ought to start again.”

Mr Dobson added 350 flats are set to be demolished in his constituency and residents would have railway tunnels running along both sides of it under the plans.

St Helens MP David Watts branded the whole project a “waste of millions of taxpayers' money”.

Mr Hammond said trains set to run at 250mph along the line up to 18 times an hour would not be ordered until at least 2020.

He added: “Where we can hide this line, we will.”

Mr Hammond said HS2 was “the best long-term solution” to Britain's transport problems and to deter people from using flights domestically.

He added roadshows explaining the project would be made at various points along the line in the New Year.

Buckinghamshire MP John Bercow had to vacate his role as Speaker of the House over a possible conflict of interests and the debate was chaired by a deputy.