"HS2 is currently unlikely to serve your area altogether"

Having read Mr Frampton’s letter that was posted online on December 31, 2019 entitled ‘The current HS2 design does not serve Sheffield well’, whilst I agree with Mr Frampton’s remarks I think it’s more important that the people of Sheffield and South Yorkshire know that it is currently unlikely to serve your area altogether!

As in order to for HS2 to run along this loop, the line from Clay Cross through Chesterfield and Sheffield to Clayton, must first be electrified as HS2 trains are to be pure electric trains, as opposed to bi-modes that are currently operating upon the East Coast Mainline! The fact that HS2 isn’t electrifying this section of railway line has clearly been acknowledged within its own economic case entitled Moving Britain Ahead published by the department for transport in July 2017 that states…

“As set out in the November 2016 consultation, the infrastructure cost saving assumes the cost of delivering a junction in the Clayton area north of Sheffield back onto the HS2 mainline, but not the costs of electrification of the Midland Main Line (MML) between Clay Cross and Sheffield Midland or electrification of the existing railway from Sheffield to Clayton”.

However it should be noted that electrifying the line from Clayton to Sheffield is expected to be delivered by Transport for the North, although unless the remainder of the Midland Mainline is electrified to the tune of around £1.1 billion, then those wishing to travel to London may first have to travel to Leeds upon the existing rail network as fast services from the West Coast, East Coast and Midland Mainlines are to be transferred over to HS2 once complete!

If we are going to build this highly controversial rail line I would rather see a fully integrated network that maximises benefits for us all in both South and West Yorkshire! For anything else must surely be contrary to creating a united Yorkshire with its own Parliament!