The Tories claimed it would replace 66,500 flights a year to Leeds and Manchester but there are currently only 13,000 flights to both cities from Heathrow. Similarly they assume rail is 70 times cleaner than flying, which is way above most independent commentators' view.

Any benefit of a high speed link to Leeds will be lost as travellers will be taken on a route through Birmingham and Manchester. Surely to have benefits for Leeds any new route must use the less-populated east cost route.

The Tories seem to ignore the sheer complexities of building a new high speed rail link through major cites and conurbations and do not mention the environmental and planning issues on the new route.

The Tory plan is to have this in place by 2027. I would suggest that it is better to invest in upgrading public transport in a similar manner to the proposed investment of £3bn in rail, trams and buses in Greater Manchester and not have grandiose schemes that knock off 30 minutes journey time to London at enormous cost and environmental damage.

Neil Dawson, Ibbetson Rise, Morley