HS2 is the acronym for the proposed fast railway line to and from England ("Engineers fear nation will be sidetracked without fast rail", The Herald, November 2). It would be good if it were an acronym for "Highland Scotland Too".
Perth has been sidetracked since its direct route to Edinburgh via Kinross was closed in 1970. Perth has a good rail connection with Glasgow taking 55 minutes, but trains to Edinburgh take far longer, averaging some 80 minutes at an average speed of only 42mph. By a direct route similar to the motorway of only 44 miles this would equate to only 33mph including station stops.
By all means, let's talk about HS2 but let's also get real about the incredibly slow rail service to other parts of Scotland and its drag on the Scottish economy. Single-track lines between Edinburgh and Perth and onwards to Inverness and Aberdeen should have been eliminated years ago. Network Rail produced a plan which almost met a Government target to complete major improvements between Inverness and Aberdeen by December 2016 but phase one of this work is only going to start in 2016 with a full completion date not until 2030. Similar proposals for Perth to Inverness are long overdue and still awaited.
It's all very well talking about HS2 but there are urgent requirements within Scotland, not least a fast new electrified line between Edinburgh and Perth.
RJ Ardern,
26A Southside Road, Inverness.
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