WE have a strong dependence on rail services across much of Scotland and are now reliant on Sprinter trains which recently passed their 30th year in service. They have done well and are in better condition than many Class 156s still operated by Northern Rail. Now let us do better.

Since 1988 we have had continued calls for a cross-Glasgow link connecting south-west Scotland with the rest of the country beyond Glasgow. Our outstanding patience needs to be rewarded.

A further clear opportunity has arisen to develop Scotland's rail system. Bi-mode electric/diesel trains are being introduced for high-speed use in England whilst commitment to Scotland's Crossrail is restricted to railway protagonists. Given the excellent scope offered by their dual power sources we need to focus intensively on how to obtain the best benefits for Scotland's travelling public.

Ayrshire and Renfrewshire have plenty of tourist and other attractions to add to the business, educational and sporting travel which rail generally copes with well. Try crossing the main roads in Ayr when the races are on. Somerset Park is close to Newton on Ayr station. The Ayrshire coast is awash with golf courses. The numerous ferry ports should earn the feeder rail link a marvellous moniker "the steel road to the isles".

Let us have through trains from Stranraer, Gourock, Wemyss Bay and/or Largs to Edinburgh, Stirling, Perth, Inverness and/or Aberdeen. I detect a little scope. Stirling, Perth and Paisley have ample opportunity to change.

The Windsor rail link is in place across central Manchester and has done well since it began, yet Transport Scotland still dithers. Let our transport powerhouse show itself to be a hive of initiative and endeavour instead.

Graham Lund,

Dalrymple Street, Girvan.

IT was certainly encouraging to note the commitment by Michael Matheson, Scotland's Transport Secretary, to revisit the case for Crossrail, Scotland's "missing link" ("Airport rail link ‘would have meant scrapping services’, MSPs told, The Herald, February 8) but it was sadly misleading to refer to this long-planned project as having being rejected in 2008 on cost benefit analysis grounds when it which was professionally recognised as having a good business case, and being affordable and comfortably passing all the Scottish Transport Appraisal Guidance (Stag) assessment criteria required.

Perhaps Mr Matheson should reflect on the inherent strength of the Crossrail case as professionally advanced by the Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT) promotional material:

"The Crossrail project is widely regarded as the most important strategic rail infrastructure project in Scotland, because it closes a critical gap in the Scottish rail network."

"This project has the potential to join south-west Scotland with the rest of the country, by constructing the missing link across Glasgow. It opens up a huge range of possible new rail connections across Scotland by integrating the network and providing faster journey times. Crossrail will also improve local Glasgow conurbation rail links and support economic regeneration in some of the city's poorest areas."

"SPT would like to point out that Crossrail is not a parochial Glasgow link. Crossrail is a project with huge benefits nationwide, providing better links from West to East and a direct link from Ayrshire right to Dundee, Perthshire and Aberdeen."

"Crossrail will alleviate the pressure on capacity at Glasgow Central and Glasgow Queen Street High Level Stations by allowing some services to be diverted via the Low Level Stations and allowing for future growth as the Stag appraisal has confirmed. By relieving pressure on existing High Level services diversions to the Low Level Stations Crossrail could also spread passenger loadings, significantly alleviating pressure on existing stations and allowing for potential future growth."

"Crossrail would provide a direct rail connection between over 220 train stations that currently cannot be made without at least one interchange. It would also provide potential for an additional 16,500 new direct links between train statins that previously would have required passengers to make at least one interchange."

"At a projected cost of under £200m, it is a project that can be easily delivered [in stages] and one that has already been approved by the Scottish Government's own appraisal guidance."

(All the above are direct verbatim quotes from SPT materials)

The case for Crossrail could hardly be clearer or more forcefully expressed,

We should by now be benefiting from the range of Crossrail opportunities which was within touching distance of a Parliamentary Bill authorising Crossrail until progress was perversely vetoed in 2008 by Transport Scotland as the newly created, centralised, monolithic, bureaucratic, quango which simply "didn't like" adhering to the preliminary work done by the inherited Regional Transport Partnership such as SPT. The subsequent wasted decade since then has similarly seen a continuing weakening of rail investment momentum given Transport Scotland's hostility to legitimate requests for new/reopened lines and stations (excluding the impetus of projects already at advanced levels of approval or previous political commitment).

Although Mr Matheson may have been given inaccurate advice information over the Crossrail cancellation issue he must now show real transport leadership and resolve to oversee "unfinished business" with early progress towards delivering a joined up railway fit for purpose, able to satisfy the needs and aspirations of a modern Scotland.

Ken Sutherland,

12A Dirleton Gate, Bearsden.