THE Government has announced that it is to “electrify” the A9 between Perth and Inverness for the benefit of cars and vans and maybe buses too (“All petrol and diesel cars to go by 2032”, The Herald, September 6).

May we expect to hear soon about its plans to electrify the parallel Highland Main Line which would give the additional benefit of electric haulage of heavy freight? Electric trains are so much faster on steep gradients and thus would significantly reduce journey times for both passengers and freight.

Government ministers have previously spoken of an aspiration to electrify all the railways between Scotland’s seven cities by 2030. It is not too soon to start planning to achieve that goal.

RJ Ardern,

27 Drumdevan Road,

Inverness.

NICOLA Sturgeon proposes the phasing out of petrol/diesel engines by 2032, but Holyrood has no power to ban these. Even, god help us, should she obtain such a power, there would be nothing to prevent any Scot buying a car in England until 2040.

Four electric charging points were installed at The Avenue Shopping Centre in Newton Mearns some months ago, but I have never seen one used. Empty ones at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital too.

Alan Dickson,

26 Newtonlea Avenue,

Newton Mearns.