In the article about South Central trains using short rolling stock (The Argus, February 22), Shelley Atlas of Brighton Line Commuters is quoted as saying it was a step forward as long as it did not impact on rush-hour trains.

You are too late, madam, it already has. On Monday, February 18, the 16.32 Victoria-to-Brighton service, normally a four-coach train - and very heavily crowded at that - ran with only three coaches.

As these trains were displaced from the West Coastway following the introduction of the new Electrostar units, perfectly good four-coach units were taken away to be scrapped simply because they had not been refurbished, whereas these shorter units (which have had buffet cars removed) had.

I saw two such units, hauled by diesel, waiting at East Croydon station not long ago.

-John Barton, Chanctonbury Road, Burgess Hill