YP Letters: Tram-trains not answer to our rail needs

WE do not support the use of tram-train technology for any services between Leeds and Harrogate – or between Harrogate and York. The route needs the affordable capacity, speed, safety and frequency, as now secured for implementation in the next two years via the new Northern and East Coast rail franchises.

With regard to proposals for tram-trains, we are extremely concerned at the potential consumption of scarce capacity on the Harrogate main line by slow and incompatible tram-train services and the inevitable bottleneck junctions that would be created where services might join and leave the main line.

In our assessment, the main beneficiaries of the park and ride station serving Leeds Bradford Airport will be the many residents in north-west Leeds who currently have no easy access to rail services into Leeds city centre.

In alphabetical order, the residents of Arthington, Bramhope, Cookridge, Pool, and Yeadon would have very good accessibility to the proposed new station. These are potential users who also experience some of the most congested road trips into and out of Leeds City Centre.

Many of them will no doubt be willing to pay a reasonable parking fee and rail fare if the total cost is competitive with the cost of city centre parking in Leeds. The station would therefore enable trips which are potentially better than those achieved with the current levels of traffic congestion both during the rush hours and the off-peaks.

It must be stressed that the trains serving the proposed new airport station already exist and are thus available at no further cost to the project. It is also a fact that they are committed to be upgraded in terms of frequency, capacity and quality trains at no additional cost to taxpayers through the DfT franchising programme.

The over-riding advantage of our proposal is that the only cost would be the capital cost of constructing the new station and associated accesses/car parks.

From: Bob Watson, Springfield Road, Baildon.

GERALD Jennings, the president of Leeds Chamber of Commerce, has urged Yorkshire’s business and political leaders to hold the Government’s “feet to the fire” to ensure that the region gets the transport investment it deserves (The Yorkshire Post, March 13).

In the same article, the leader of Bradford Council stated how much better her city would be if it were on a main line rather than a branch line.

However, it seems to me that this attitude is rather like bolting the stable door after the horse has fled.

Before the Broadway shopping centre was built recently, there was a proposal for a through line in the city with a new central station that could have been built within the shopping centre.

This had no support from Coun Hinchcliffe and her colleagues, so it is a bit rich now to fly this particular flag when the nettle could, and should, have been grasped a few years ago.

It appears that in transport matters Bradford has been just as inept as has Leeds in getting a 21st Century system in place. Residents in both cities have been badly let down by their leaders for some considerable time.

Put God back into politics

From: Theresa Quarmby, Highfield Road, Kirkburton.

AS a new reader to The Yorkshire Post and on International Women’s Day, March 8, I would like to express my concern regarding the damage being done to our society by the liberal, humanistic policies and legislation enacted by successive governments in the UK which has led to abortion, the redefining of marriage and amoral sexual guidance etc.

Thomas Jefferson, an American founding father said “that no nation can be governed without religion”. We need politicians and religious leaders who will be honest enough to face the facts that some of their policies are not working. We see heartrending stories in the media every day caused by family breakdown in our broken society.

The great civilisations throughout history have endured because of their religious and spiritual foundation. We now find that our religious freedoms are under attack by the humanistic agenda, particularly in relation to freedom of conscience.

I so hope that many people will understand that we need God’s universal and spiritual laws and principles to be at the heart and soul of our nation again, especially among our political and religious leaders. History has shown clearly that no society in history has been able to last for long without a strong moral code.

From: MP Laycock, Harrogate.

YOU are right to say (The Yorkshire Post, March 10) of Bishop North that “Sheffield deserves a diocesan figurehead imbued with such estimable spiritual leadership as his”.

It is ironic that his views on women clergy are exactly those of our previous Archbishop, David Hope, who was praised for his courtesy and consideration.

At this present time, just one out of forty-one Church of England dioceses is reporting increasing numbers of worshippers. That is London Diocese, whose outgoing Bishop, Richard Chartres, holds similar views to Bishop North.

Scrap fees for NHS medics

From: Nigel FH Boddy, Fife Road, Darlington.

IT is clear if we are to retain NHS staff, we must now scrap all tuition fee debts for doctors, nurses, radiographers, pharmacists and other healthcare professionals for medicine-based courses.

We must also start paying tuition fees for all current students in these disciplines. Tuition fees are driving them out of the country. Brexit is making NHS recruitment and staff retention very difficult indeed.