The way ahead

Two new reports make this argument even stronger. First, the Road Users' Alliance's assertion that traffic congestion will rise by 37 per cent if the current "minimal levels of investment" in roads continue for the next 15 year is, frankly, depressing for all those delayed unnecessarily on a daily basis. These delays would be shorter if Britain had a state-of-the-art railway network.

Second, the actual construction of a high-speed rail line could accrue a 30bn dividend for the Exchequer as well as creating more than 40,000 much-needed jobs.

Of course, a large number of these posts will be in the construction sector. But the benefits do not end here. There's considerable evidence to suggest that many businesses will relocate to those towns and cities that will be, ultimately, served by the line – the very reason Yorkshire cannot afford to lose out to Manchester and the North West, a region that has already benefited from the upgrade of the West Coast Main Line.

Critical to Yorkshire's future prospects will be the publication of the Government's blueprint next month. Thus far, Transport Secretary Lord Adonis deserves credit for trying to build a cross-party consensus – a consensus recently broken by the Tories and their decision to distance themselves from the White Paper.

This is regrettable. Given that the line's planning is likely to span the lifetime of several governments, co-operation is the only way forward.