Who was it who recommended to Tony and Gordon they should build a new railway called HS2? Who convinced Norman Baker to continue with the project? The people responsible might still be in office - in the civil service.

I genuinely hope the inquiry into HS2, announced by Rachel Reeves this week, takes place. Can the terms of the inquiry be broadly enough drafted to investigate why an alternative of relaying former track ripped up under the Beeching Review wasn’t followed instead?

Episode 4 of series 3 of Rob Bell’s TV programme ‘Walking Britain’s Lost Railways’ refers to one such lost opportunity (one of many).

I understand relaying the Waverley Line in the Scottish Borders cost £4 million a mile. Laying HS2 is costing £403 million a mile at present and the costs are still rising.

Nigel Boddy, Greencroft Close, Darlington