IF THERE seems no solution to increasing capacity on the Brighton rail line from Three Bridges to Brighton Station, highlighted by John L Hyde Smith (Letters, August 24), even though the population of the South Coast is many times greater than when the Brighton line was built, and today’s population seems twice as large every ten years, one ought to make some constructive suggestions as well as negative facts.
What about extending the London Underground to Brighton Station, with frequent modern tube trains stopping under all Brighton line stations to London Victoria and London Bridge stations?
The existing Brighton line could then be upgraded for high speed trains as in Kent.
To ease South Coast standing room problems further, South Coast Brighton line high-speed train services should include Littlehampton, Worthing, Hove and also Seaford, Newhaven and Lewes stations respectively then on to Gatwick, West Brompton (transport for London overground station), Watford Junction, Birmingham, Edinburgh, restoring the traditional Southern cross country service avoiding London’s horrendous travel connections between terminus stations.
That is why Thameslink is a winner. It was stupidity to terminate Eurostar trains at St Pancras as these trains should have had direct access to all regions.
Southern England’s coastway railway should not be cut off from Europe’s high speed trains by a small section of single unelectrified track between Ore station and Ashford International.
John Stanaway
Lorna Road, Hove
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