REGARDING HS2 – what can one say?

How about: Unwanted; not needed; other calls on taxpayer’s money have greater priority; no substantive business case; based on 19th century technology.

Or: A white elephant; vanity project; scant public support; today’s journey time Manchester to London in just over two hours is perfectly acceptable; all other high speed rail links to capital cities that have been built in Europe have only succeeded in drawing things to the centre rather than distributing benefits to the periphery... need I go on?

Over £4.1 billion already spent and not an inch of track laid.

Estimated cost in 2010 was £32.7 billion, latest estimate £55 billion – a 71 per cent increase.

Cost per mile £400 million making it the most expensive railway in the world. Why?

Stop this madness before it is too late.

John McDonald Sicily (formerly of Knutsford)