YOU can tell an election isn’t far away because the government is now trumpeting the so-called HS3, a high-speed rail link between Manchester and Leeds. But HS3 does nothing at all for Manchester-Sheffield connectivity, and South Yorkshire gets a poor deal.

We could do better. Reopening the now-closed Woodhead route with a faster new alignment would connect Manchester to Leeds and Sheffield. Lorry shuttles could take freight traffic off the Peak District pass roads and M62. And the urban part of the route into Manchester Piccadilly already exists, making it cheaper.

Now here’s a thought: given a good, fast route between Sheffield and Manchester, why not scrap HS2 and re-route it alongside the M1, going via Sheffield to Leeds? The route from London to Manchester is then via Sheffield and Woodhead, which is a lot more direct. Going up the M1 would certainly please the Chilterns objectors.

This isn’t just another hare-brained pet scheme. It’s part of “High Speed UK”. Their website at highspeeduk.co.uk has plenty of professional analysis showing why it is clearly superior to HS2 and HS3.

High Speed UK existed before the DfT started on HS2, but it didn’t fit in with their narrow preconceptions. It is disgraceful that they still push the environmentally damaging and poor value HS2, after ignoring a greener, better, and cheaper alternative they knew about all along.

Alan Robinson, Lindley Street, Holgate, York.