Judging by the recent letters there are divided opinions regarding the viability of reinstating the line between Tavistock and Bere Alston; both Brian Trew and Rex Lombardo raise valid questions against the project with only Peter Tinson in favour. 

The whole point of trying to reinstate that short piece of line is not only to provide a service from Tavistock to Plymouth, but to eventually take the line back to Okehampton where it is now connected to Exeter and providing a secondary route from the South West. It cannot be right that Plymouth, being a major city with a very important dockyard, should have to rely on a single route out which is often beset with problems.

After the collapse of that line at Dawlish there were various alternatives put forward, one being that reinstating this old ‘Southern’ railway route with the cost being estimated at around £875 million, today that would probably be over a billion – a lot of money, yes, but peanuts compared with the countless billions being squandered on HS2, which I believe has been delayed yet again, which no doubt will be adding more billions to the project – all for getting to Birmingham 20 minutes earlier.  

So, let us say that for around two billion pounds (or less), which may have to include a new or strengthened viaduct at Meldon, the South West could have a fast double tracked main line or, as a cheaper alternative, a single line with passing loops to either Waterloo or Paddington, but both capable of providing a service to and from London and the rest of the country.

Of course, there will always be those who will claim that this money could be better spent elsewhere, but having a decent fast and reliable railway service between Plymouth and Exeter and on to the rest of the country is in my opinion just as important and beneficial to the entire South West and the railways gradually being taken back under government control will provide that opportunity.