The new route has the capacity to carry more than 28, 000 passengers in its first season of operation, making it the largest low-fares airline to fly to Geneva from Leeds Bradford.

BBC: Easyjet to operate from Leeds Bradford airport

Rail operator First Great Western said customers are advised not to travel unless absolutely necessary on the route because of the limited capacity.

BBC: Somerset and Devon trains disrupted 'for up to a week'

The minister said that the Glasgow to Edinburgh high-speed route had the potential to boost rail capacity across the central belt, significantly reduce journey times and possibly lead to new stations being built.

BBC: Scotland politics

This transformation is telegraphically visible in the TeleGeography report showing the expansion in submarine capacity has grown as much on every oceanic route as on the formerly dominant trans-Atlantic one.

FORBES: Bullish Economic Indicators: Gold and Global Bandwidth Prices Both Fall

The report's authors produced what they called a "route map" that illustrated ways to bridge the gap in the UK's generation capacity.

BBC: Britain 'faces power cuts threat'