MUCH is made of the argument that HS2 is the biggest investment in railway infrastructure since Victorian times.

This purposefully neglects to mention that the Victorian investment in railways was private money, not taxpayers’ money. If the business case for such investment is so strong then, logically, it would stand to reason that private enterprise would be fighting for the chance to make the investment. I see no such interest from the private sector.

We should also ask ourselves why is it that all three political parties are in favour of HS2?

The answer is that this is in fact driven by Brussels, and is part of the pan-European High Speed Rail Network enshrined in Decision Number 1692-96-EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of July 23 1996.

While I align myself with the group of people who think that the £33 billion involved is a colossal waste of taxpayers’ money, why will no politician at national or local level have the honesty, courage and integrity to admit the Brussels directive to us?

Are they afraid that such an admission might affect people’s views when we are finally allowed to vote in the oft-promised but yet to be provided EU referendum?

And regarding your article on cutbacks for spending on rural broadband I quote from correspondence with Cheshire East Council concerning funding: ‘We’re going out to procurement in December with award of contract planned for spring. Until we reach award we do not have a timetable or plan to publish.’ So, two years of bureaucratic faff since the availability of funding was first announced with local authorities sitting on hands rather than having a plan ready to roll. And now in east Cheshire at least another three or four months before any decisions are made. I have seen dead snails move faster.

If just a fraction of that £33 billion earmarked for HS2 was provided to enable broadband fibre to be laid to all premises in the UK there would likely be a consequential reduction in demand for intercity travel on business grounds. It would certainly be an investment that would benefit a lot more people than a new railway line.

JOHN MCDONALD Ashley, Altrincham