Letter: Trains - New proposals are inferior

In fact the outcome would be a service with new vehicles offering few advantages over the current ‘Pacers’ – hardly an exciting prospect.

The concept is fine for new inner city and cross city services within large conurbations but offers no advantage whatsoever over current proposals to provide superior services on the Leeds – Harrogate – York axis and the headline grabbing prospect of additional Virgin through trains to London bringing clear benefits to Harrogate.

To now have to defend these plans is unfortunate indeed after all the work towards achieving significant and attainable improvements.

If such tram train ‘improvements’ were proposed for any comparable service serving the South East they would be dismissed as totally unacceptable.

We must reject any ’toy train’ ideas and press for the implementation of the well documented and beneficial plans that have gained wide support.

These alternative proposals are inferior and serve merely to delay delivery of the much needed improvements.

David Lowther

Summerbridge