LETTER: HS2 millstone

In response to the excellent '˜Counting the cost of HS2' special report by Don Mort featured in the Express (March 30), I would like to add that in the financial year 2015/16 the 11 directors of HS2 were paid a total of £1,597,162.
By The Newsroom
Published 13th Apr 2017, 08:00 BST
Updated 9th May 2017, 19:02 BST
HS2HS2
HS2

On top of that there were the salaries of 366 senior managers and 684 employees, consultants and the like so it’s hardly surprising that the chief executive stated that at the time of his report the overall cost of HS2 was estimated at £55.7 billion at 2015 prices.

One of the strategic goals of HS2 is ‘delivering value to the UK taxpayer and passengers’ - but unless this vanity project is cancelled it will, in my opinion, be an ongoing financial millstone around the neck of the UK taxpayer. If the fares cost one third more as they do on HS1 then that’s hardly good value for passengers when it comes to saving them just 20 minutes on a Leeds-London journey.

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According to the HS2 2015/16 annual report ‘the board seeks to uphold the seven key principles of public life: selflessness, integrity, objectivity, accountability, openness, honesty and leadership’. Interesting to note that HS2 Ltd doesn’t have anyone on its board to represent the public/passengers/customers. Enough is enough. The country cannot afford HS2 so it must be stopped.

James Morris, Drury Lane, Altofts

Related topics:HS2James MorrisLeedsLondon