Chinese show what fast rail really means

From: M Day, Rochdale Road, Greetland.

EACH time I read another letter about HS2 it brings a wry smile to my face; so much opinion over something which I fear will have the following outcome. Firstly most of those making the comments and observations will be dead before it happens. Secondly, the lawyers will make off with most of the money before the first rail is laid and lastly the cost will double if and when it is done.

Allow me to describe a similar project in a different part of the world. In October 2007, I started a contract in Wuhan, Hubei province in China Wuhan is a city on the Yangtze River about 1000km upstream from Shanghai. My contract was to install and commission the machinery for a new factory making power station boilers.

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On my first visit to the new site early in 2008, I noticed construction work adjacent to our site involving a line of pillars, and was told that these were for the new high-speed railway line from Wuhan to Shanghai.

Over the next 18 months the work carried on, day and night, and by late 2009 you could catch a train in Wuhan and be in Shanghai five hours later; now that’s high-speed rail! Incidentally they are projected to build 19,000 miles of high-speed railway over the next 5 years; the line from Shanghai to Beijing is already well underway. So how is it that we, the greatest engineering nation in the world, who invented railways, need 20 years to get from London to Birmingham?

From: Coun Andrew Carter, Calverley and Farsley Ward, Civic Hall, Leeds.

I THINK it is important that all of us who support the Government’s announcement on HS2 speak out.

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Whatever HS2’s opponents may say, the evidence is overwhelmingly in favour of the proposal in terms of the investment and jobs it will bring to the North.

Although it may seem a long way away to 2033, I would just point out that it took years to build the existing network, and there hasn’t been a new railway line built north of London since the late 19th century; so we should all get behind it, and make sure we use the vast weight of evidence in favour of the project, to outweigh the opposition.

From: Paul Nightingale, Howden.

I HAVE been reading with interest, both in the Yorkshire Post and specialist railway magazines, about the benefits 
to the economy that HS2 will bring.

Will the Government put its money where its mouth is and move one of the large state departments to Leeds or Sheffield, perhaps the Home or Foreign Office or even the Exchequer?

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It would be interesting to see if they would be prepared to uproot a whole branch of government ‘lock, stock, Mandarins and Minister’.

From: Ron Firth, Woodgarth Court, Campsall.

LINDA Riordan MP (Yorkshire Post, February 4) raises again 
the question of formally transferring political power to the North.

The fact is that we already have or should have that facility through the many MPs, district and parish councillors who should be working in the interests of their constituents.

There is nothing to stop them coming together with Chambers of Trade and other influential people to formulate plans to promote and encourage backing for the many areas in which the North excels.

Orwellian echoes in NHS

From: Richard Barrand, Shepley, West Yorkshire.

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I READ with interest the latest report you published (Yorkshire Post, February 6), along with many others previously in similar vein, about the way the NHS spends our money on business consultants etc.

As previous reports have shown they are no different from any other Government Department. It reminded me of Animal Farm by George Orwell, which I have recently re-read. For the benefit of any not aware of it, the story is based around a revolution in which all the animals, led by the pigs, take over their farm and declaring “all animals are equal”. It ends up with the pigs in complete control and dominating the rest of the animals, declaring “all animals are equal, but some are more equal than others”. It beats 1984 in its marvellous insight into the hypocrisy of government and politics.

The book should be standard reading in my opinion for all sixth-formers to warn them, in advance, of the world into which they are going. And, it would not do the politicians any harm to read it also to remind them of what they now are. Would that we could do something about it.