Sir, – Jane Ann Liston (November 20) rejects any criticism of her views, insisting there is a sound case for a new railway to St Andrews.
She vows her group will press on regardless, certain of its own correct approach.
This has failed over 25 years and there is no reason to think it will not do so again.
It indicates a gross lack of understanding of transport, geography and economics.
How a case can be accepted as sound without providing any verifiable facts or figures is hard to see.
Ms Liston thinks St Andrews is isolated from the rail network. That is not the view of the town’s publicists whose website says the town is only 10 minutes away from Leuchars Station which has direct services, including sleeper trains, to and from many places in Britain.
She notes that the distance between Edinburgh and St Andrews approximates to that between London and Cambridge and there is a high volume of train travel between the latter two.
However, Cambridge is several times the size of St Andrews with many more students and visitors. Demand would not justify a train service between Edinburgh and St Andrews.
Only a small minority of Cambridge residents live within a 20-minute drive or bus ride of its rail station, as is the case in St Andrews.
A branch rail line was closed many years ago. There was a proposal to restore it but a study deemed this unjustifiable.
Instead, the track was used for a busway. Unlike trains, buses can leave the track and travel into housing areas.
Why bus services are deemed good enough for most Cambridge (and Oxford) residents but not for those in St Andrews is incomprehensible.
Transport Scotland has told StARlink it will look at its project only if a comprehensive feasibility report by a competent independent party is provided.
If the benefits of the project for St Andrews are as great as argued, then it should be possible to fund this locally.
The group should try to have this done.
I suggest Leuchars Station be re-named St Andrews Parkway since most of its passengers go to or come from the town and it is mainly a park-and-ride station.
John Munro. 68 Buccleuch Street, Glasgow.
No myth about global warming
Sir, – I read Jenny Hjul’s column, Irrelevant Environmentalists (November 18) with incredulity. No one can be unmoved by the terrible attack in Paris and the death of so many but why does that make climate change unimportant?
In fact, the effects of climate change unprecedented floods, winds and drought are more deadly than ISIS will ever be.
According to UNICEF, 22,000 children in the world die every day of malnourishment and disease as their families’ fields and flocks are decimated.
The UN reports that there may be as many as 200 million climate refugees by 2050. Is that irrelevant?
Jenny will be pleased to hear that the Paris march will not, for sensible reasons, be taking place, but there will be hundreds of marches worldwide.
Mary Henderson. 36 Luke Place, Dundee.
Hard facts about climate change
Sir, – Dr John Cameron (November 23) claims that global warming is a myth.
The facts are clear. The 10 warmest years on record, with the exception of 1998, have occurred since the year 2000.
The decade 2001 to 2010 was the warmest decade ever recorded.
Indeed, every decade since the period 1961 to 1970 has been warmer then the decade that preceded it.
Global warming is not a myth but a fact.
Walter Attwood. 7 James Street, Stirling.
Warning over smart meters
Sir, – My energy supplier offered to install a free smart meter saying these are part of Government plans to make it easier than ever to understand and control your energy use.
It is not compulsory so I refused and others should do so or face a Big Brother scenario.
A new report shows my fears were justified.
Britain’s leading power firms are expected to introduce tariffs that charge more for gas and electricity at peak times when they roll out new smart meters to monitor how much energy you use.
A Government document has already stated that should there be a danger of blackouts then smart meters would be used to cut off supplies to those with high usage.
Already 1.3 million smart meters have been installed ahead of a national rollout next year which aims to put these in every home by 2020 and, of course, the costs will be added to our bills.
Clark Cross. 138 Springfield Road, Linlithgow.
Dangers of cashless society
Sir, – As cashlesstransactions increase, whether chip and pin or contactless payment, we should all be aware of what this means for society.
One benefit for the Government is closer monitoring of cash flow between individuals and businesses, therefore, it is to be hoped, cutting down on tax evasion.
But the other more sinister reason why we should show concern is the trail we leave behind every time a purchase is made using these methods.
There will be a complete history of every individual’s transactions and movements.
Coupled with widespread CCTV coverage, mobile phone tracking and internet spying, Government agencies have the ability to monitor all of our movements all of the time.
This has benefits in fighting crime and terrorism but what about our civil liberties and personal privacy?
So as banking establishments increase the drive for a currency-free world, we should remember, when the cash is gone so are our freedoms.
Richard Clark. Craigton Farm, Monikie.
Broker peaceful settlement
Sir, – I note with concern the letter from Martin Redfern of Edinburgh (November 23 ) and the inaccurate whinge concerning the alleged stance by Nicola Sturgeon regarding Syrian air strikes.
Let’s get the facts right and cease this anti-SNP propaganda.
Nicola Sturgeon has clearly stated that she and the Scottish Government would consider any proposals to carry out air strikes on Syria, but only if a sensible plan backed by approval from the UN for action and addressing a post-war reconstruction/support package for Syria, was presented to Parliament by the PM for consideration.
The majority of Scottish people have had a stomachful of warmongers.
The Libyan, Muslim branch of my family is peace loving and abhors the actions of Daesh but strongly objects to Western powers granting themselves the right to inflict more bombing on people already under attack by a multitude of idiot Western air forces.
Surely we can use our UK influence to propose a meaningful peace settlement to the UN and stop the little boys firing off their expensive toys.
Duncan A Kennedy. Midfield, Perth Road, Abernethy.
Treat jihadis as traitors to UK
Sir, – In the aftermath of the vicious, senseless attacks on Paris by Islamic militants and following the declaration of war against ISIL, I cannot understand the Government’s hesitation in barring UK citizens who try to return here after going to Syria to fight.
In doing so they are traitors to this country and should be treated as such.
Instead of trying to stop these people from leaving to go to fight, we should encourage them to go.
Alister Rankin. 93 Whyterose Terrace, Methil.
Confusion by Mr Salmond
Sir, – Having been wrong in supporting Angela Merkel in taking in the refugees coming in through Greece, resulting in two of the refugees being terrorists responsible for the Paris slaughter of 130 people, Alex Salmond decides in this week’s column to totally disregard his support of bringing in the refugees and changes the subject.
He now criticises David Cameron’s efforts in the European negotiations.
However, the content of his column is so totally confused because of his efforts to discredit the Tories rather than simply put forward his point of view.
Mev Braid. Kinkell Avenue, Glenrothes.
Politics of grievance
Sir, – The First Minister and the SNP are riding high, with popularity ratings and projected 2016 election results seemingly showing they can do no wrong.
Yet day after day, thousands of people across Scotland using our critical public services see clear evidence of the shortcomings of the nationalist approach to government.
Whether in education, health or the police service, the dedicated professionals trying to serve the public to the best of their ability find they are limited by a lack of resources and ill-judged reorganisation.
The SNP’s centralising and controlling instincts are not working for Scotland, with their energy policy and named person laws stand-out examples, reflecting as they do a failure to listen to industry experts on the one hand and to the parents and families who are most directly affected on the other.
This Scottish Government seems to be at its most energised when stirring grievance over the relationship with the UK Government and dismissing new powers as being inadequate.
Keith Howell. White Moss, West Linton.