THE announcement that Anglo-Scottish rail travel is rising fast due to continuous improvements in train speed and comfort ("Massive fall in pollution as Scots switch from air to rail", The Herald, August 21) boosts the case for an early decision to extend HS2 to Scotland.

The first phase of the HS2 high speed route is due to open from London to the Midlands in 2026, reducing the Glasgow-London train journey time to well below four hours. What is now urgently needed is a decision by the Department for Transport to extend HS2 onwards to Glasgow and Edinburgh, shortening train journey times even further, to only three hours from London.

Following last month's announcement by Michael Gove that diesel and petrol car sales are to be stopped by 2040, Transport Secretary Chris Grayling should now make a matching commitment to reduce the high levels of pollution and CO2 emissions from Anglo-Scottish air travel by extending HS2 to Scotland and cutting the demand for so many domestic flights from Glasgow and Edinburgh.

John McCormick,

Chairman, Scottish Association for Public Transport, 11 Queens Crescent, Glasgow.