* Links to Leeds and Manchester 'will be built at the same time'
* Calls on local businesses to get behind scheme as government's consultation ends tomorrow
* Roundup of recent high-speed rail press coverage
A Yorkshire transport chief has welcomed comments made by Transport Secretary Philip Hammond that high-speed rail (HS2) links to Leeds and Manchester will be built at the same time.
During a visit to Sheffield Hammond told the BBC Look North's Alan Whitehouse that once the �32bn high-speed project had reached Birmingham, 'we will then build out the Manchester and the Leeds branches simultaneously'.
West Yorkshire Metro's chairman councillor James Lewis welcomed the comments following fears that the western line to Manchester might be built before the eastern one. He said:
"Having gained the support of the Transport Secretary, we now need local businesses and individuals to go to www.yorkshireneedshighspeedrail.co.uk and show their support for HS2 and the �2bn transformation it will bring to our region before the Department for Transport's consultation closes tomorrow."
"If the well-organised opponents of high-speed prevent it reaching Birmingham, we're never going to feel the benefits in West Yorkshire and the Leeds City Region."
Hammond's comments have also been welcomed by a Huddersfield-based business group.
'Extra capacity' welcomed
Lewis said that as well as delivering economic benefits, HS2 would also much-needed extra capacity for the north's congested rail networks. He added:
"The transfer of a significant number of the journeys currently made on the East Coast Main Line to the high-speed route would free up the space in the timetable and on track for more, fast, frequent commuter services, local trains and freight.
"Now that we have the Secretary of State's assurance that both legs will be built at the same time, we'd like to see the plans for the whole network brought forward so that the benefits can be felt as quickly as possible."
High-speed rail news roundup
Generally speaking there's a continuing north-south divide when it comes to press coverage on HS2 during the past week. Coverage in the north tends to point towards the economic benefits of the project, while in the south the focus is on local opposition.
The Yorkshire Post says one million jobs are under threat if the Government does not build a high-speed rail network connecting London with the North, according to new research which warns that without it Britain also risks being left behind by its competitors.
Supporters of the planned HS2 high-speed rail project have hit back against claims the plan is "economically flawed". The Institute of Economic Affairs has dismissed the Cameron-backed �32bn High Speed Two proposal as a 'political vanity project', reports The Guardian.
High-speed rail will deliver much-needed jobs and growth, reports the Huffington Post.
Thousands of prospective jobs in Liverpool would be put at risk if a new high speed rail link to London is not built, warns the Liverpool Echo.
Meanwhile, anti high-speed rail campaigners in the south are urgently asking people to have their say on a new high-speed rail link before it's too late. Tomorrow marks the end of public consultation on the proposed HS2 rail line that could cut through the Chilterns, reports Hemel Today.
The Bicester Advertiser and Review reports HS2 offers pollution, but not a solution.
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