IN 1963, Doctor Richard Beeching, the chairman of the British Railways Board, produced a report for Ernest Marples, the Tory Minister of Transport, which proposed the closure of 6,000 miles of Britain’s railway network.

Included in that 6,000 miles was the rail link between Bishop Auckland and Crook.

This link was very busy on a morning between 7am and 9am with people going to work and schoolchildren going to school.

The same was true in late afternoon, from 4pm to 6pm, when everyone returned home.

Between 9am and 4pm it was not so busy and would probably run at a loss.

The sensible thing to do was to reduce the service between 9am and 4pm so the line could be profitable and people could enjoy a warm and punctual service.

That didn’t happen and the line was closed, leaving the people in the area today with an unreliable Arriva bus service, cold and draughty bus shelters and a long and uncomfortable ride to places like Darlington.

The Weardale bus service does well in all weathers but you can’t beat the train, especially in winter.

Now these silly Tories, who think of profit before people, are at it again.

The cuts in public spending could mean that towns and villages in Wear Valley and Weardale are now going to lose their Sunday and late-night bus services.

Are we going forward or backwards?

I would plead with the bus companies to think long and hard. Why not reduce services during the day to keep Sunday and late-night services in place?

John Phelan, Howden-le-Wear.