YOUR report (April 13) of the £20,000 being allocated by Devon County Council to research into the Drake Line proposals invites the question ?Why pay for pie in the sky?? The traffic situation has changed radically in the 40 years since the line was closed. The industrial centre of Plymouth has moved from the Millbay and Devonport areas to Southway, Estover and other suburbs far from the railway corridor. Millbay Station is no longer there to serve the commercial, retail and entertainment centre and North Station is at least a ten minute bus run to the city centre. A rail journey from Tavistock via Bere Alston would, under the obligatory Light Railway Regulations, take much longer than a road journey through Yelverton and Derriford Roundabouts, even at the rush hour. The convenience of the car, its greatest attraction, would be entirely lost in the dog?s leg rail journey. The project could only be achieved with a massive capital outlay on replacing the track, and constructing a station at Tavistock. Then there would be continuing heavy operating costs in salary and wages payments and for the hire of rolling stock. It could only be achieved by granting very heavy subsidies for what would certainly be the whitest of white elephants. Would central and local government meet such costs? I think not. G Kirkpatrick Tavistock IT is encouraging to read that the county council has allocated £20,000 for an assessment of the viability of re opening the section of railway from Tavistock to Bere Alston (Times, April 13). The ability to travel this cross country scenic route to Plymouth would take traffic away from the congested roads, be environmentally friendly and assist in the battle against global warming. It would be a tourist attraction and would encourage people from Plymouth to come and spend time in Tavistock without adding to traffic and parking problems in the town. Now is the time for us to encourage this initiative. I would like to hear from anyone interested in forming a Tavistock to Bere Alston Rail Restoration Group if they would like to contact me by any of the following means: E-mail [email protected]">[email protected] or call 01822 617479 or write to me at 1 Uplands, Tavistock, Devon PL19 8ES. Terence Scarborough
