SO Mr Ure, of the Rail Users' Consultative Committee for Scotland, is ''mildly optimistic'' rather than ecstatic about rail developments in Scotland (May 18). I stand corrected. Ever since I noted the strange near-enthusiasm with which he greeted news of the abandonment of plans for a Scotland-to-Paris Eurostar sleeper service I have, I confess, wondered quite whose side he was on.
But then I was forgetting about Bathgate. Doubling of services on this line is wonderful news indeed.
Mr Ure believes critics should ''encourage'' the main players in the Scottish rail business rather than ''knocking'' them. That approach no doubt suits him. Those of us who live beyond Bathgate and travel outside Britain cannot help but notice that our rail services are falling tragically behind those of the rest of Europe. Even Spain, for goodness sake, now boasts services that humble our toytown set-up in Scotland.
New Labour promised that they would take the railways under something called ''national control''. They are running away from this promise and by getting excited about what are frankly pathetic achievements in Scotland we are letting them get away with it. Privatisation of the railways was an unmitigated disaster. Labour promised to unravel the mess and they are not doing it.
Mr Ure may be happy to travel to Bathgate and back twice as often as he used to. Those of us who live in the real world want something a bit more substantial.
And, by the way, who on earth are the Rail Users' Consultative Committee for Scotland? And do they actually ever travel anywhere by rail?
Bill Williams,
Mill Business Centre,
PO Box 3, Ellon, AB41 9EA.
May 20.
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