HS2: white elephant or vital addition to Britain’s rail network? | Letters

Readers respond to Simon Jenkins’ article in which he called for the project to be scrapped

Simon Jenkins’ argument is shortsighted and ignores the fundamental reason that HS2 was designed in the first place – the west coast mainline is full and the UK is rattling towards its worst transport bottleneck (HS2 is the wildest white elephant in British history. Please put it out of its misery, 21 May). Cost and schedule overruns invite legitimate scrutiny and reflect failures that must be addressed. But they do not invalidate the need for additional rail capacity that will deliver transformational benefits to the north, including vital freight capacity and improved regional connectivity.

With unemployment on the rise, major infrastructure programmes aren’t just about capacity and connectivity. They are critical to creating high-quality careers and supporting the UK supply chain. HS2 is already doing both. From tunnel facilities in Hartlepool to working with local West Midlands firms, HS2 is supporting more than 30,000 jobs, sustaining highly skilled workers and apprenticeships, and strengthening small and medium-sized enterprises across every region. The bridges, viaducts and tunnels delivered so far are a testament to this country’s continued engineering excellence.