Letter: Tunnel rail link

Your article on the proposed Channel Tunnel high-speed rail link and cheaper alternatives ("Cut-price rescue proposed for Channel Tunnel link", 10 February) suggests that the cheapest would "provide half the benefits for one third the cost". This seems to be based on an assumption that the journey time on the English part of the journey into Waterloo would reduce by 15 minutes, rather than by 30 minutes into St Pancras.

However, Waterloo is a much less accessible station for the majority of people in Britain than St Pancras. A rail passenger from anywhere north of London would be likely to save at least one hour's journey time by using St Pancras rather than Waterloo.The benefit to them of a higher- speed link to Waterloo is only one quarter of that of the high-speed link to St Pancras.

D R SMITH

Principal Research Officer

Central Policy Unit

Sheffield City Council