High-speed railway needs better local connecting services

CLEM Dye hits the nail on the head when he points out that West Yorkshire will only benefit from high-speed rail if the connecting services to take people on to their ultimate destinations across West Yorkshire and the city region are “low-speed” (Yorkshire Post, July 22).

To capitalise on the benefits of 80-minute journeys to and from London, we need good road links and ample parking for the new high-speed station, an improved local rail network with better infrastructure, further electrification, more stations and new trains.

Innovative solutions successfully used in other countries, such as modern trolleybuses that could be extended to provide links to residential and employment areas as they grow, and lightweight tram-trains running on street in some areas to free up much-needed capacity at Leeds Station, would also help maximise the positive effect of the high-speed link.

All of these measures, plus proposals for an overhaul of bus services and better cycling and walking facilities are contained in the new, 15-year West Yorkshire Local Transport Plan, which has been developed by Metro and it partners, the five West Yorkshire districts

We do not believe that any government would plan to spend tens of billions of pounds on a high-speed rail network without thinking about how people would complete their journeys, and will therefore be taking every opportunity to set out to Ministers the funding that is required in West Yorkshire and the Leeds city region, to ensure the country gets its full return on the investment in high-speed rail.

From: Richard G Houlton, Hull.

FOR a high-speed rail link France and Germany draw a straight line between their cities without any need for a public inquiry because they are committed to this form of travel.

We, on the other hand, will be fortunate if any work on the ground commences before 2020, as HS1 proved, due mainly to marginal constituencies en route.

The North East and North West need HS2. Why aren’t the two arms built now in places that will not object? It would allow time to resolve the London connection, which is also the most expensive section, and that way the politicians will have actually committed themselves unequivocally to this fantastic project.

I would like to travel on this in my lifetime although I do not expect a link to Hull. That would be asking too much.

From: Iain Morris, Caroline Street, Saltaire, Shipley.

WITH regard to your exclusive “Yorkshire starved of money for transport network” (Yorkshire Post, July 18), you mention in your editorial vital projects such as the trolley bus in Leeds, extra trams in Sheffield and park and ride in York.

There is no mention of Bradford, which in fact has the most congested roads and streets in England after London and Manchester and is the 11th worst gridlocked city in Europe.