LETTER: Don’t bet on Colne-Skipton rail line being re-opened

Eric Greenwood seems confident the Colne-Skipton railway line will not be re-opened. Personally, I should not care to bet too much on that.

By The Newsroom

Published 30th Jun 2011, 21:48 BST

I have worked in Colne for seven years and seen the cost of petrol rise from 87.9p a litre to £1.32. Every delivery, be it to school, supermarket, factory or private home gets there by car or lorry.

As fuel is so expensive, the customer is crippled by increasing prices. When the Beeching plan was implemented, fuel was very cheap and the motor car became affordable to many. If there is a similar rise in the next seven years, we may be paying £2 a litre or more. It is extremely unlikely wages or savings will have kept pace with this rate of increase. The car will then be the preserve of a privileged minority.

At what point in this nightmare scenario will we begin to say the line has to be reinstated? No, Mr Greenwood, I should not be inclined to bet against this line or many others being put back.

CHRISTOPHER INGHAM

Park Lane, Keighley

Colne