• THANK you for publishing my appeal to members of the three main political parties to urge them to include a pledge to review their support for HS2 in their manifestos (Look again at HS2, April 27).

Unfortunately my letter was edited in a way which gave the impression that it advocated building a conventional line rather than a high-speed line.

Although a conventional line would provide all the necessary capacity, it could also be provided without building a new line at all.

The relevant passage in my letter read: “All the capacity needed to meet the official demand forecasts could be provided by the 51M scheme, which involves getting rid of three bottlenecks on the existing mainline, lengthening trains and platforms, and on each InterCity train substituting one second-class for one first-class carriage.

“The cost would be some £3billion, there would be little or no environmental damage and the work could be completed long before HS2 could be built”.

STEPHEN PLOWDEN
Albert Street, NW1