SIR - We welcome the Government's intention to improve transport infrastructure and agree that it is desirable to promote growth, be environmentally friendly, narrow the North-South divide, increase capacity on the West Coast Main Line and improve connectivity between our major cities. But we do not believe the High Speed 2 project can achieve these aims.  We share the concerns of the Transport Select Committee that Manchester and Leeds will not benefit from any capacity relief for 20 years, that claims of HS2 delivering substantial carbon reduction do not stand up to scrutiny and that it is disappointing that a major project is