Letter: Riding the Fort William railway

From Mr Rodney Barker

Sir: When the dismantling of British Rail was first mooted, the Government scoffed at suggestions that this was leading to the erosion of train services north of Glasgow and Edinburgh. It now appears to be honouring its pledge that privatisation will cause no damage by making sure the damage is all done before the sell-off.

Jonathan Glancey's report (27 March) on the proposed closure of the direct connection between London and Fort William illustrates graphically what is being lost. The train doesn't make a direct profit. But every train passenger is a saving on the costs being accumulated through the damage caused by the car, while the London-Fort William link represents a productive investment for the tourist industry in the West Highlands, for the communities which it serves, and for the quality of life of all those pale southerners who are enabled to get into rural Scotland in less than a day. What will the Conservatives do next? Rebuild Hadrian's Wall?

Yours faithfully,

RODNEY BARKER

London, EC1

30 March