Full speed ahead
Sir: William Astor (‘Signal failure’, 14 January) writes that High Speed 2 is supported only by ‘northern Labour MPs who relish the thought of the beauty of the Chilterns being destroyed’. He seems to have missed the MPs from across the House of Commons who joined forces this week to welcome the project.
Links between the north and the south of our nation are of vital importance. Better connections are great for jobs across the north of England, but they are also necessary for the overdue rebalancing of our economy to which the Prime Minister is firmly committed.
Lord Astor relies on the internet as proof that rail demand will decrease. The evidence suggests otherwise. The West Coast Mainline is now forecast to be completely full by 2024. The rail industry expects demand across the network to double by 2035. Demand for rail freight is set to double by 2030.
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