Warning signal over who will benefit from high speed rail

I USUALLY agree with most of what Tom Richmond says in his columns, but I totally disagree with him as far as HS2 is concerned (Yorkshire Post, August 28). I agree with the Institute of Directors and all the other objectors to this very costly, vain, unnecessary, over the top project.

It will never be anywhere near “in budget” – no government scheme ever is.

It will not improve business opportunities for the North and Midlands – how can arriving 15 to 20 minutes sooner or going at 225 mph make any difference?

Freight traffic will not use this line, and only the very rich 
and/or some businesses 
will be able to afford the sky-high fares.

It will wreck large areas of England’s most gorgeous “green and pleasant land”.

This huge amount of taxpayers’ money should be used to upgrade, modernise and 
properly improve our existing rail network.

We have long enough platforms but not long enough trains. We need passing loops, sidings, much more modern rolling 
stock, better signalling and modern freight handling 
facilities.

Germany has no equivalent to HS2 but she has a vast extensive integrated “old style” railway network serving cities, towns, rivers, canals, airports, bus depots, harbours, heavy 
and light industries, 
and a ticket system that is 
simple, easy to follow, economically priced and 
very user-friendly.

Her rail network is run by experienced railwaymen – not politicians nor busmen or coach companies, nor private enterprise.

Germany does not have a north/south divide nor an 
east/west division, it is 
one big, highly successful enterprise – this is what we should be aiming for!

From: David Reed, Houses Hill, Huddersfield.

I AM tired of correspondents attacking HS2 on the basis of inaccurate knowledge. The price is not £50 bn, it is £42bn, which includes £14bn of contingency which may not be needed (Crossrail is coming in on budget, for example). The time saving from Leeds to London is 50 minutes, not 20, almost halving existing times.

The operator will be keen 
to fill as many seats as possible, and just like today, there will 
be heavily discounted fares in 
the off-peak and for advance booking (as there are on today’s high speed trains in Europe and on Eurostar in Britain), so that 
all sectors of society will be 
able to enjoy this fantastic new facility.

HS2 in not about speed but capacity.

The number of passengers on the East and West Coast lines has doubled in the past 15 years and is set to double again.

There will simply be no room to provide additional trains to meet this demand, or for more freight on rail.

But when HS2 is built, the capacity freed up on the 
existing railway will become a marvellous asset to improve commuter and regional services and to increase the amount of freight on rail.