ANOTHER136 houses planned, added to the 750 already allocated, plus any other sites greedy developers might be eyeing up, that would mean almost 1,000 houses around Tavistock which equates to over 1,000 more cars and probably in excess of 2,000 more people. One has to ask West Devon Borough Council if they have allowed for the strain this is going to have on our schools, surgeries and of course our already restricted parking in the town. They are apparently quite content to let Tesco open on the old Do It All site opposite Morrisons when it would be far more practicable to open a new supermarket closer to the proposed new housing estates. However, if all these houses are to be built one has to assume that those who will live in them will have jobs to go to, which are likely to be mostly in Plymouth or Exeter, which brings me to another point, the railway line. There are some (like myself) who have doubts about the viability of just having a line from Tavistock to Plymouth, but with the problems caused by the collapse at Dawlish it has shown that the West cannot afford to be cut off in this way again and that is why there has been a strong campaign to re-open the remaining 15 miles or so from Tavistock to Okehampton to ensure that there is always an alternative route. This will be particularly important if Tavistock is to continue to expand and it is difficult to understand the objection made by Nicholas Skeaping in last week's Times. His statement about this scheme being for only 'railway enthusiasts' and the resources being used for high speed broadband (although very desirable) instead really does not hold up in the light of the benefits of the possibility of renewed rail access to Exeter and beyond — it's almost like saying high speed broadband is only for computer enthusiasts! Many people have said this line should never have been closed and because of the problems at Dawlish there is a strong possibility that Tavistock may get it back, so let us not decry this scheme but support it and hope that it happens. Paul Mercer Peter Tavy WHILE one can appreciate that Mr Skeaping, as a resident of Lydford, has concerns over the reinstatement of the Tavistock to Okehampton line, to describe the 19th century as the age of the train is not borne out by the facts. Passenger numbers continue to increase year on year, including in Devon and Cornwall. More and more travellers are finding it more efficient to use the train to combine travel and work than to drive . Hence the reason First Great Western is currently installing Wi-Fi in its trains, which so many other rail companies have already provided for their customers. Local Enterprise Partnerships across the Country have identified investment in rail, new lines and stations, as a key component of their strategies to deliver future economic growth. It is not only passenger traffic, rail cannot keep up with the demand from business for more and longer freight trains; and electrification to reduce haulage costs. Hence the reason a new line is currently being constructed at Reading so freight trains from Southampton and the Midlands can cross trains to and from Devon, without time delays for either. It is reassuring that, at last, we have a Transport Minister who believes in the need to invest in rail for our future economic well-being, hence HS2, HS3, Oxford to Milton Keynes, and hopefully, Bere Alston to Tavistock and onwards to Meldon. D Incoll Buckland Monachorum