‘This country needs high capacity, high speed, rail infrastructure’

• YOUR March 21 Comment made much of the poor reliability and overcrowding on the railways which plagues the lives of many passengers, especially commuters, (Higher fares, fewer trains: what a way to run a railway!).

Yet this newspaper has spent years denigrating HS2, the project which had the most potential to alleviate these problems by freeing up capacity on the existing main lines into London from the north.

There’s no denying that HS2’s performance has been imperfect (which scheme of this size has not) but there should be no satisfaction derived from the government’s short-sighted decision to axe the northern sections and throw the Euston leg into doubt.

Just as other similar sized economies – Italy, Japan, France – already have, this country needs high capacity, high speed, rail infrastructure connecting its major conurbations and eventually it will have to be completed.

Given its great importance to our borough, why has the CNJ not properly covered Camden Council’s recent report making the case for completing HS2 to Euston?

Their pitch to take charge of the troubled Euston station and regeneration project would deliver much-needed local housing and employment, an estimated £41billion in economic benefits over 30 years and do for Euston what HS1 (the Eurostar route) has done for the area around St Pancras and King’s Cross stations.

The CNJ should rethink its stance on HS2, recognise that it represents a huge opportunity for Camden and its residents, and use its considerable influence to advocate a positive vision for a locally-led regeneration of Euston with HS2 at its heart.

NICK BETHUNE, NW5