YP Letters: Why the case ofr HS2 does not stack up

From: Geoff Marsden, Buxton Avenue, Heanor.
Should HS2 take precedence over other rail schemes?Should HS2 take precedence over other rail schemes?
Should HS2 take precedence over other rail schemes?

THERE are rumblings afoot about opening up old railway lines that were closed by the infamous Dr Beeching.

This is very intriguing. The one railway line that should never have closed was the Great Central.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

It is said that an express leaving Manchester to London via Sheffield could be in London Marylebone Station before an express leaving Sheffield on the LMS to St Pancras if they left at the same time.

The reason was because the Great Central was a straight line whereas the LMS had too many bends in it that trains had to go slower.

The ostensible excuse? The Great Central did not pass through any provincial towns to collect passengers.

Compare this to the HS2. This line will be almost straight and bypass all provincial towns and cities en route to its destination.

Thus the precedent has been set. If a railway cannot stop to collect passengers owing to its planned route, then it has to close.