YP Letters: We need this improvement to rail system

John Seymour (The Yorkshire Post, July 11) maintains that the HS2 Project cannot be justified because it is a “vanity project” and that the money could be spent on other things.

We need to accept that for the first time in my memory, a major railway project had and still has cross-party support and in fact stage 1 has Royal Assent.

We need to realise that capacity on the railway system will not cope with present and projected flows of passenger and freight demand. One approach was considered – improve the present rail lines between North and South, but it was soon realised that to achieve this would result in endless closing down of the existing system, not just at holiday weekends, but for long periods over a number of years.

Even closing down major parts of the system at holiday weekends has caused many problems over the years.

Japan produced a new fast service many years ago because they considered this was the only realistic option to increase capacity without bringing the system to a halt. Funds will be found as the two stages of the project proceed and should hospitals and schools and the like need funds, they will be funded as and when justified on their own merits. It is not a case of one or the other.

Other rail projects such as HS3 need to be justified separately but in the knowledge that HS2 will get to Leeds and Manchester in 2033.

Incidentally, HS2 is not justified purely on the needs of businessmen and women travelling between the North and London. Future generations will not forgive us if we leave their transport system to wither.

From: Tim Mickleburgh, Boulevard Avenue, Grimsby.

It is disgusting that soon after the Government has cancelled electricification schemes for the rest of the country, a multi-billion scheme is given the go- ahead for London.

It shows once again the need for Parliament to remove its London-centric blinkers, perhaps by moving to a different location while the Palaces of Westminster are being repaired.

I write, incidentally, as a resident of a town that doesn’t even have a direct rail link to the capital.

Electric car UK still a dream

From: Paul Morley, Long Preston, Skipton.

Regarding the idea of there being only electric cars by 2040.

Renewable energy has been around for centuries yet it is still not reliable enough to power the country without constant back-up from fossil fuel or nuclear-generated electricity.

So if the way forward is to rely on only renewable energy and the only means of transport will be powered by electricity then I can see a great benefit for this country – the obesity crisis will vanish as we will all be walking everywhere!

Meanwhile the populations of countries such as China and India will grow steadily fatter as they open more fossil-fuelled power stations and drive everywhere.

Until renewable energy becomes consistent and reliable, thoughts of all vehicles powered by electricity are just the wild dreams of our friends in cloud cuckoo land.

Poor parking is everywhere

From: Clive Bailey, Carlton, Stockton-On-Tees.

I wholeheartedly concur with your correspondent on the perils of parking illegally outside schools (The Yorkshire Post, July 19).

However, schools are not the only problem areas. Everywhere I go I see cars blocking pavements and dropped kerbs, thereby obstructing pedestrians and wheelchair users.

It is hard to believe that this is still such a major problem since local councils in England have had the authority to ban pavement parking since 2011.

Yet in 2013 a newspaper reported that parking problems in Barnard Castle were so bad that the Durham Police and Crime Commissioner personally hit the streets in a clampdown on inconsiderate parking.

Now, finally, the Department for Transport is considering applying a blanket ban on pavement parking throughout the country.

It cannot come soon enough, but of course in order to make it work we shall need more car parks and more parking wardens to slap more tickets on more windscreens.

Bookseller is ‘a character’

From: David and Joyce Hirst, Scissett, Huddersfield.

I am writing regarding the bookshop owner who is selling his shop in Hawes.

We go into the Dales at least once per month. But we always go to Hawes – my wife likes bookshops and likes the Hawes shop more than most, contrary to what has been said and written. My wife found him to be OK– she always offered him the 50p and on nearly all occasions he refused the gesture, saying he liked dealing with honest people – but in any case if you bought anything he deducted the 50p charge.

I’ve been in there once – my wife bought six books for herself and one for me. Personally, I found him alright – a bit of a character. I think he will be sorely missed.