Sir, - As a supporter of the Wensleydale railway, I was disappointed to read of the half-hearted response by the Yorkshire Dales National Park to a request for support for the Wensleydale railway's bid to re-open the line between Northallerton and Garsdale (D&S, Feb 2).

It sadly reminds me of a similar response by the Peak District National Park to Peak Rail's request for support of a venture in my home county of Derbyshire to re-open the Buxton to Matlock line.

No doubt many of your readers who have visited the Peak District will have witnessed the annual invasion of the area by vehicles and may have been struck in the jams around the A6 road, particularly in Bakewell and Matlock. The re-opening of the line would alleviate much of the problem.

Does the Yorkshire Dales want a similar situation? I think not. Surely a public transport solution is just what the park needs.

The businesses of Wensleydale would surely welcome the railway's re-opening, Bolton Castle does. As to the environmental impact, there is nothing more damaging than roads and road vehicles. Has not Prof David Bellamy of Durham University described railways as corridors of rich biodiversity?

Come on Yorkshire Dales, get off the fence and give the venture your wholehearted support. Can you think of a better way of bringing thousands of visitors to and from the dales?

JONATHAN OLDFIELD

St Mary's Mount,

Leyburn.

Luddite tendency

Sir, - Mrs Nancy Stedman of the Yorkshire Dales National Park is concerned about the "impact a railway would have on natural habitats along the route or on traffic and business", and she believes "There are so many unknowns...".

The quotes needed a second glance to make sure that they related to the current proposals to restore the line and not to the original plans which must have been discussed around 150 years ago with a then, almost topical, Luddite perspective.

Ken Blackwood

Hunters Ride,

Appleton Wiske.

Price of time

Sir, - I read with interest the letter from Tony May (D&S, Feb 3) on the poor service provided by Northern Spirit's Transpennine Express trains.

In summer 2000, GNER, as part of its campaign to win the renewal of the East Coast main line franchise encouraged its customers to write with their comments and support to the Shadow Strategic Rail Authority at 55 Victoria Street, London, SW1H OEU. Anyone with comments to make on the renewal of the Transpennine franchise could always do likewise.

Four companies were short-listed on November 2: Arriva plc, Connex Transport UK Ltd, Serco Rail and Via GTI in partnership with First Group plc. The deadline for final offers is March 14.

The SRA states that the new Transpennine franchise has, as one of its aims, journey time improvements. A concern must be that one way of achieving journey time improvements between the major conurbations of Manchester, Leeds and Newcastle would be to cut out the intermediate stops, such as Northallerton and Thirsk, on some services.

The two hourly service between Northallerton, Darlington and Newcastle is poor enough already without any possible further reduction.

B HAZELDINE

Ormesby Crescent,

Northallerton.

It's the managers

Sir, - It was with great interest that I read Tony May's letter re Northern Spirit (D&S, Feb 2).

I am one of the 50 or so passengers who use the 08:16 to York every day, usually returning on the 17:22.

Having used this service for 11+ years I have experienced first hand the problems inflicted upon passengers, first by Regional Railways (BR) and later by Northern Spirit.

Yes, the franchise holder must bear responsibility for a lack of investment and a lack of basic maintenance. But let us not forget that British Railways was underfunded by the original owners, our glorious government of the day.

One consistent factor has emerged. Whoever holds the franchise, the company remains burdened by the same management teams residing in York.

It is they who decide if a bus should be provided when they cancel a train, it is they who decide to let a non-stopping train continue to pass through Thirsk leaving passengers standing in the cold through a cancellation.

Northern Spirit has great difficulty in retaining train crews. Why? The answer to that lies with the senior management.

New rolling stock will not solve the problem. What is needed is somebody of the calibre of Sir John Harvey-Jones to take charge, and then go through Northern Spirit HQ at York, finger pointing, YOU, bad attitude, OUT.

A good starting point would be the managing director, and then go down as far as those who function as duty manager of the day.

You may ask why I put up with a fourth-rate service? I believe in our railways as an economical and environmentally friendly way to commute, and not because I am the green transport co-ordinator for my employer.

DEREK E ADAMSON

Gormire Close,

Thirsk.

Go to Thirsk

Sir, - As a result of the Alice in Wonderland road scheme in Northallerton, which will affect the town for the next 12 weeks (to accommodate a new wall at the remand centre), my wife and I - both pensioners with disabled parking permits - have decided to transfer our shopping to Thirsk, with its comparatively easier parking, to avoid any undue hassle in Northallerton.

Incidentally, why no right-hand turns from Zetland Street into the High Street one way right traffic flow, and why no right hand turn into Romanby Road, from the High Street, as this is now the direct route to the new surgery in Malpas Road?

D J HALSEY

The Close,

Romanby,

Northallerton