Action stations for a new transport interchange in Leeds

1 WELCOME the plan to bring HS2 to Leeds. A strategic site for the station would be underground in the vicinity of the disused Carlsberg Tetley site and which might eventually allow for the present city rail and bus stations to be closed with local trains also being put underground to serve this new “Southbank” transport interchange.

Leeds had its central area tram subway project back in the 1940s. Glasgow, Liverpool and Newcastle do of course boast central area underground rail systems so such networks are neither taboo nor impossible in Britain. Tunnels in many German cities also have trams and trains sharing the same underground infrastructure.

From: N Feather, Glen Road, Morley, Leeds.

WHILE I was pleased to note that three Leeds MPs had put their names to a letter written by the Leader and Chief Executive of Leeds City Council (Yorkshire Post, January 6) expressing their support for the high speed rail link, I was surprised and concerned that the city’s other five had not.

On a day when your newspaper’s Editorial about getting the region moving through better transport stressed the need for a coherent strategy, surely our MPs should have been setting an example?

From: Stanley Parr, Maple Avenue, Pershore, Worcs.

THE very modest length of new “white elephant” HS2 railway is to be laid between London and Birmingham – over an extremely long period and at extortionate cost. It is a fallacy that businessmen want more speed – they want capacity and efficiency!

The new Dutch HS train operational from 2009 is already running only a third full and is losing £320,000 per day! The French HS lines are also being heavily subsidised – but the amount is kept secret.

With completion quoted at “around 2026” and a starting figure of a huge and preliminary £17bn, the money could be far better spent in other ways.

I bet the Victorians could lay 108 miles in half the time and at half the cost!

From: Dr David Hill, Chief Executive, Worldwide Innovation Foundation, Huddersfield.

HS2 will end up in disaster and I am highly surprised that the coalition Government is seemingly going forward to construct it.

It will provide little in economic returns for Britain in the long-term other than to give relative prestige with other nations and no more.

From: ME Wright, Grove Road, Harrogate.

IN order to confirm Lord Astor’s worst fears about HS2 (Yorkshire Post, January 13), why not tempt him up here with the offer of a cheap grouse moor and, while he’s away, build a railway across his croquet lawn?