Ian Cummings refers to my letter (January 14) as ridiculous in my description that HS2 will mostly benefit wealthy Tory supporters.

With respect, Mr Cummings, like so many others, is ignorant of the way the Conservatives have pushed through this project by not revealing many factors.

They have without conscience stated the tremendous cost of HS2 at around £155 billion, a figure that this country could well do to spend improving the existing rail networks.

A friend of mine is an engineer on the HS2 which runs freely in Japan. He says the maintenance costs are in the $billion mark.

Maintenance costs here have never been mentioned. More worrying are the S-forces that HS2 has developed in Japan.

The routes travelled there are through sparsely populated areas. In this country, so much of the planned route passes through old towns and villages, where many buildings were built without knowledge of stress factors in their construction.

Alongside many rail tracks are schools and public buildings which, after a few years of HS2 regularly running close by, will develop cracks and foundation distortions. HS2 speeds will generate vibrations never experienced in this country before.

My Japanese friend says such vibrations are equal to continuous small earthquakes that will have a detrimental effect on Victorian construction methods. So, Mr Cummings, please get all the facts before supporting this white elephant.

ADRIAN TAYLOR Duncan Close Eynsham