WHAT a car-centric letter (February 14) from Moira McAlpine and no wonder, from someone living in that almost-forgotten corner of the country, the south-west. The Beeching cuts of the 1960s removed the rail link from Dumfries to Stranraer, the rail journey from Kilmarnock to Dumfries is a joke with ancient, diesel trains and the line to Stranraer doesn't even link to the ferry terminal at Cairnryan.

However, we need to look to rail for the future, rather than one person per car spewing out pollution, as is the norm today. The rail link needs to be restored along the A75 corridor, the lines from Glasgow to Dumfries and Stranraer/Cairnryan need to be upgraded and all need to be electrified for the Scotland we need in the future. We are moving towards electric buses and with a publicly owned bus service with minimal or even no fares, we could replace many of the single-occupancy cars shown in your photograph.

Once we have done this, a rail and road bridge from the south-west of Scotland to the north of Ireland will not appear as such a pipe dream.

If we are to tackle pollution, face up to climate change, we need to be ambitious and think of the future for our children and grandchildren.

Patricia Fort, Glasgow.

MOIRA McAlpine’s admirable letter sums up the improbability of the Northern Ireland “connectivity” dream ever becoming a reality. My old home town of Maybole is only now having its long, long overdue little bypass constructed. As a child ( 75-plus years ago) I recall this project being talked about. How many years to dual 100 miles of A 75 and say 80 miles remaining to be dualled on the A77 to enable the tunnel to be connected to the motorway networks?

I doubt if Boris Johnson’s political impetus could last the required timeframe.

Archie Hunter, Glasgow G76.