Letter: Trains '˜invaded by air passengers' at Gatwick

Sally Pavey raises some pertinent questions over Gatwick.

As regards rail congestion on the Brighton London line two solutions are necessary.

First take a leaf out of the old British Rail when normal passenger trains were for normal passengers and Gatwick Express trains were for air passengers and their heavy luggage.

It is ridiculous that commuters on normal Southern trains are invaded by air passengers at Gatwick bound for London when there are special trains running precisely for air passengers and their heavy luggage between Gatwick and London.

It is also necessary for Brighton mainline two to come into effect. This means reopening the Lewes-Uckfield stretch of track. And thus there will be two main Brighton-London trunk routes.

As regards oil prices it is vital that HMG has an active policy of exploitation of mineral sources within both the UK and the the UK’s exclusive economic zones as per international law.

Industry like the planes at Gatwick needs cheap and plentiful oil. And there is so much untapped oil within the UK’s domain. Just think of the employment active oil extraction will bring.

And blunt truth is that reassuring of inward investors post Brexit necessitates a massive expansion of UK infrastructure such as expansion of Gatwick and all major UK airports.

As regards the train horns raised by Norman Saxby I am afraid I cannot be of much help. I know someone whose daughter was hit by a train while on a level crossing before the loud horn days.

And I know professional railmen who have literally had to deal with the pieces caused by accidents.

And I am aware of cases of fatalities caused by a few ‘middle class busybodies’ presuming to speak for their communities pressuring rail management to take down whistle boards in certain places.

John Barstow

The Fleet, Fittleworth