Rail revolution gets on track

The route, which will split at Birmingham to take in Sheffield, Leeds and Manchester, means more trains, travelling faster. If completed on time and within budget, it will make the country's much-maligned rail network the envy of its international rivals.

The benefits will be felt by everyone and the effect of building a Y-shaped route will be transformational. Individuals, business, universities and tourist attractions will all feel nearer to London, as well as to the capital's Eurostar terminal, and the economic benefits of such access will be immense. It is no wonder that the value of such a rail revolution has been put at up to 25bn.

That is why the high-speed route was backed for so long by this newspaper's Fast Track to Yorkshire campaign and why an extraordinary consensus emerged, with politicians and businesses, academics and even Network Rail all speaking out in favour it.

They also knew that Britain's major roads are horribly congested and, particularly in Yorkshire, in a state of disrepair. Trains offer a greener alternative to cars and countless studies have shown more people would willingly use them for long journeys if the cost and punctuality could be improved.

The coalition parties should be commended for taking a bold decision, given the severe spending restraints under which they are governing. Much is made of the "ripple effect" in business but this, more than any shopping complex or leisure park, is a true example of that. High-speed rail will not just benefit the cites directly served by it, but towns from Hull and Scarborough in the east to Halifax and Huddersfield in the west.

It is an investment for the whole of Yorkshire and much of northern England and it cannot come soon enough.