YP Letters: '˜Fit for Yorkshire' rail plan turns out to not be fit for purpose

From: Mrs M R Mills, Leak Hall Lane, Denby Dale.
Rail Minister Jo Johnson is under fire.Rail Minister Jo Johnson is under fire.
Rail Minister Jo Johnson is under fire.

I AM SURE that many of you, like me, will have sat down in great anticipation to read Rail Minister Jo Johnson’s article (The Yorkshire Post, May 18). ‘Delivering a rail network that’s fit for Yorkshire’, now that sounded promising.

Having just returned from a five-day visit to London and the South East, and having benefited hugely from its 21st century, first class transport system to get around quickly and efficiently, I actually believed, as I sat down to read the article, that Mr Johnson was finally revealing to the third class commuters of Yorkshire that we were to receive a few crumbs from the rail budget cake.

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Could it be that the Government had had second thoughts on all its broken promises?

Were the cancelled electrifications to take place after being exposed by your columnist Tom Richmond, and was work to begin immediately to ensure that the trans-Pennine route would be second only to Crossrail 1 in its speed and efficiency?

‘A rail network fit for Yorkshire?’ Yippee! Better later than ever!

What a huge disappointment!

It seems that the only ‘rail network fit for Yorkshire’ in Mr Johnson’s mind is the one that operates between Yorkshire and London. Why am I not surprised?

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Perhaps someone ought to tell him that people who live in Yorkshire do sometimes also need to travel from east to west as well as to the capital.

In this regard, Mr Johnson obviously does not know that a train journey between Huddersfield and Manchester Airport, for example – a distance of 28 miles – currently takes a minimum of one hour and 11 minutes.

Not much of an alternative to the car, is it Minister?

Think of us as you board the Heathrow or Gatwick Express!

In reality, we really do not need to have Mr Johnson preaching to us about the Government’s handling of the latest chaos to befall the East Coast Main Line – as it was once again temporarily renationalised following the failure of Virgin’s franchise.

It is, after all, one of the few half-decent services which we currently have.

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No, what we travellers ‘up North’ would really like most – and it may come as quite a surprise to the Minister – is the kind of fast and efficient rail system for commuters which is taken for granted in the South East.

Now that really would be ‘delivering a rail network that’s fit for Yorkshire’.