Ditch HS2 in favour of electrified local rail network, underground rail and trams - YEP letters

Scrapping the eastern leg of HS2 while improving the East coast and Midland mainlines could unlock vast sums of money which could help fund the local projects for mass transit and HS3 in West Yorkshire.

Investment in infrastructure improvements which improve the local environment and bring daily socio-economic benefits within West Yorkshire are easier to justify than expensive schemes which benefit fewer people.

The local transport authority’s plans for mass transit are pleasingly ambitious in that improvements are promised for all areas.

Developing the local rail network with full electrification and capacity, increasing city centre tunnels in Leeds and Bradford, would provide the backbone to the system with trams added as necessary.

It’s disappointing that West Yorkshire rail planners are unwilling to investigate city centre tunnels at a time when these are being studied for Bristol, Manchester and Cambridge and possibly Birmingham and already serve Merseyside, Tyneside and Glasgow.

There is also scope to consider the application to our city of underground rail as it develops in similar size cities such as Gothenburg, Leipzig or Zurich.

Tunnelling allows quick direct high speed transport to a variety of destinations and plugged into the national network for both regional rail and municipal trams without being governed by the street pattern.

Rail is the future and the future is underground.