Subsidising a rich man’s train

Even the Government’s own alternative, known as RP2, commissioned by Lord Adonis himself, increases capacity by 151 per cent at a net cost to the taxpayer of £2bn, a fraction of the HS2 cost.

But RP2 is not the best alternative. It is in fact possible to increase peak time standard class seats on intercity trains by 138 per cent without any infrastructure work.

This is significantly higher than the DfT growth forecast of 102 per cent until 2043. Meanwhile peak capacity between Euston, Milton Keynes and Northampton can be doubled in under five years through work at Ledburn junction costing £243m, in contrast to HS2 which delivers no increase until 2026.

HS2 will be a white elephant and will cost over £1,000 per household. There are much better ways to spend our money than subsidising a rich man’s train. - Jerry Marshall, Hodgetts Lane, Burton Green, Kenilworth