Doncaster should be Great British Railways base in preference to York – Yorkshire Post Letters

SOME MPs cannot see a bandwagon without jumping on it. Calling for York to be the HQ of Great British Railways (what a name!) is short sighted, but that doesn’t stop Julian Sturdy and Rachael Maskell espousing that bad cause (The Yorkshire Post, November 25).

York is already a highly popular place to live and work, housing is expensive and in short supply, our roads are far too busy and the streets are crowded with visitors. It needs the HQ about as much as a revived Pacer train.

When Network Rail moved its HQ from Euston to Milton Keynes, it lost many experienced staff, contributing to the timetabling problems. Another move will do even more damage.

But if the Government really wants to “level up”, the HQ should go to somewhere that needs it more than York. How about Doncaster, another railway centre?

From: David Reed, Mirfield.

JOHN Longworth claims the PM has made the right choice in not proceeding with HS2 (The Yorkshire Post, November 25).

Unbelievably, he appears to be unaware that there is no change to the plan to build HS2 to Birmingham, Manchester and Nottingham.

It is only Leeds and Sheffield which will miss out, with trains relegated to the existing slow and overcrowded lines, sharing the tracks with stopping trains and freight. Leeds in particular will lose out heavily while the connectivity of Manchester with the Midlands, London, and Heathrow will improve dramatically. High-speed rail brings substantial economic growth to the areas it serves. This growth more than repays the capital cost of construction.

From: Michael Green, Tingley.

I WOULD like to think that, after the Government’s contemptible U-turn over HS2, all Conservative MPs representing Yorkshire constituencies would have the honesty and the integrity to resign their seats by the end of this month.

Think of the respect they would get, as people of principle and honour, by making it clear that they are not prepared to have their constituents lied to like this.

Better, surely, to go out in a blaze of glory as a hero (and live to flight another day), rather than have a political career terminated by being thrown out at the next election if not before.

From: JA King, Thurgoland Sheffield.

WELL done Prime Minister, he has listened to the voice of the people rather than politicians.

Levelling up is about franchising more of the people rather than a select few as with HS2. Cancelling this project provides more money to invest in upgrading the system in the North to enable more people to benefit from rail improvements.

Surely this is a far better way to spend taxpayers’ money?

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