Rail users would get more benefit from money spent locally

DURING a recent visit to North Yorkshire, the Secretary of State for Transport made bold statements about understanding the needs for the local railway network in West and North Yorkshire and Lancashire to be improved, to take cars off the roads and to establish the supporting, regional transport infrastructure, that any major project – like HS2 – will need to maximise its commercial potential.

However, in a written statement to Julian Smith MP, the Minister of State for Rail, the Rt Hon Simon Burns MP, says that there is no priority from our local authorities in North Yorkshire and Lancashireto re-open the Skipton to Colne route and to increase the intermittent use of the Hellifield to Clitheroe/Blackburn line.

Craven District Council has identified over 70 sites in Hellifield, on which four or more houses could be built. I believe that this exercise is going on within other parts of North and West Yorkshire. Where are these people going to work – in Hellifield, Long Preston, Gargrave? How are they going to travel to work, given the current congestion on the A59/A65/A650?

If there are growth opportunities along the M65 corridor in East Lancashire, working people from Yorkshire need to be able to get there easily, without blocking up the existing roads and adding more pollution to the atmosphere. The foundations for these local railway lines already exist; they just need developing. And what are the costs in comparison to the recently reported 30 per cent increases in the HS2 budget?

Or are we just thinking about the 2015 General Election?

From: Brian Hill, Carnaby, East Yorkshire.

WITH regard to alternatives to HS2, I advocate more spending on basic infrastructure which is badly needed for Eastern England embracing both manufacturing industry and agriculture (Yorkshire Post, August 27).

This would entail extending the M11 via the existing A15 route up to the Humber bridge to provide fast direct connection to the M180, M62, and A1M. No matter what the political argument for HS2 rolls out, there is no case which will promote a change for freight to come off the roads onto rail, the red star days of the 60s and 70s have long gone. There is a further possible advantage which could see the East of England using Humberside Airport as a fast hub for freight to and from continental Europe, the advantages to industry and shipping, both north and south of the Humber, would be limitless. Local politicians, where is your vision?

From: D Birch, Smithy Lane, Cookridge, Leeds.

WE need to think again about HS2 (Tom Richmond, Yorkshire Post, August 28). Can anyone really imagine the country and the taxpayer sanctioning in excess of £50bn for the sake of saving 15 to 20 minutes on a train that only business and the very rich will be able to afford?

From: James Bovington, Church Grove, Horsforth, Leeds.

SUBSTANTIAL new housing could be provided in Otley if it came with a guarantee that the rail line would be reopened as the new homes are constructed and perhaps renewed leisure facilities too.

HS2 will bring benefits if its promise of two lines for the price of one is realised. Planning as described here is central to this process. Hence the Leeds to Doncaster line could become a major commuter line with lots of new stations, Hemsworth, East Ardsley, Middleton etc once freed from the need to serve long-distance trains as priority.