Why is inferior rail service not bigger deal in the Highlands?

Two questions. One is for ScotRail (SR), Transport Scotland (TS) and the Scottish Government (SG).

The second is for the media, politicians and other stakeholders in the Highlands.

It’s not too many years since in a blaze of publicity and hype, SR, TS and the SG launched the ‘Inter7Cities’ (I7C) trains, with their distinctive branding.

These were basically British Rail’s ground-breaking InterCity 125s, such as used to form the daytime Inverness to London ‘Highland Chieftain’ service but with fewer coaches and features such as power doors and generous cycle spaces.

They were meant to provide the appropriate standards of passenger comfort for 3 – 4 hours’ long distance train services in Scotland.

As well as improving standards of passenger comfort to those expected by long distance travellers, these trains were also meant to go some way to delivering the 2007 SNP Government’s promise of much speeded-up journey times.

Were I7Cs ever put into service on every train on the Highland main line? If they were, they certainly aren’t today. Too many journeys on the line are still (or once again?) provided by diesel multiple unit (DMU) ‘Turbostar’ and ‘Regional Express’ trains or as I now like to think of them, trams. Diesel-powered, jumped-up trams.

The Inverness tram. For passengers, it’s a hit and miss experience. On a couple of last-train journeys home from Edinburgh in the last two months, one was on an I7C, the other on an Inverness tram.

It would take too long to list the features of these trams that make them unsuitable for long distance journeys but outstanding points are the noisy underfloor engines (like listening to a dentist’s drill for hours), the inadequate luggage and cycle space, the ‘cauld blast’ from open doors at every station (try it at Dalwhinnie when the temperature is below -10C!), the overcrowding and the lack of catering.

In fairness, these trains are perfectly fine for short distance commuting especially in the Central Belt but they are not in any way appropriate for inter-city journeys lasting three hours plus. Lest we forget, the train journey time from Inverness to the Central Belt is still in excess of three hours. The train journey time between Newcastle and London is similar, sometimes shorter. If Geordies were told to use suburban DMUs for trips to/from London, they and their media/political stakeholders would surely be kicking up stink.

Why do we accept it so quietly? This is why the lack of media and stakeholder concern worries me more.

We depend on stakeholders such as the press, HIE, Highland Council, MSPs and the like to fight for decent train services for the Highlands.

RS/TS/SG’s failure to consistently deliver faster, better trains between the Highlands and the Central Belt seems to have escaped them.

The failure to deliver A9/A96 dualling when promised by the SNP is regular meat and drink to these stakeholders but the failure to deliver consistently better, faster train services seems to be ignored. Why?

Andrew McCracken

Grantown.

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The ‘big stick’ would be a dangerous option

I write to complain, gently, about Grant Frazer's excoriatingly insulting words regarding the new US President, Donald Trump. (Strathy letters, 27 Feb.)

Although certainly no angel, as judged by his reported personal and political life, he is the head of state of the UK's most powerful international friend and ally.

What benefit could possibly come from such trite attacks on Trump who, as the son of a mother from the Isle of Lewis, is unlikely to see the Strathy?

He is said to be notoriously thin-skinned.

Heads of state and tyrants seem often to be psychopathic or they wouldn't start wars.

The politically realistic quotation from Theodore Roosevelt, "Speak softly and carry a big stick, you will go far", makes more sense than Mr Frazer's intemperate choice of language.

Maybe just as well he is not our ambassador in Washington DC, though Peter Mandelson does make a strange choice.

The UK PM, who has also often, publicly, bad-mouthed President Trump, is now trying to set up a more constructive relationship between our nations, to the advantage of us all.

Roosevelt's aphorism can usefully be applied also in private, personal and potentially contentious relationships.

There, though, the ‘big stick’ would be a dangerous option!

Sometimes, though, to call a spade a spade is not a useful practical policy.

Charles Wardrop

Perth.

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Too much heavy traffic using historic Tromie crossing

Over the last few years, Wildland Ltd has built 23 kilometres of new or reconstructed roads between the River Tromie and the River Feshie - all apparently required for forestry.

Now they are joining with Forestry Land Scotland (FLS) to construct a further two kilometres of road, which will provide a ‘short-cut’ from Glen Feshie to Kingussie - but add to the traffic using the historic Tromie Bridge.

The bridge over the Tromie was constructed in 1728 by Peter Macglashen, a stone mason from Blair Atholl, significantly at the same time that General Wade was building his network of military roads through the Highlands.

The original bridge was simply a packhorse bridge, and was only widened to take a carriage in 1828. It is incredible that this historic structure still provides the only unrestricted access from this part of the Spey valley, as the much younger bridge at Kincraig has a weight restriction of 17 tons, and the alignment of the bridge over the Feshie precludes all but vehicles with a short wheel-base.

Over the last year, and as a consequence of the need to harvest fallen timber, Tromie Bridge has been under exceptional pressure.

Grass verges have been encroached, and heavy vehicles have destabilised the parapet wall at a point where the wall slopes almost vertically to the river below.

Residents know from experience that this will involve scaffolding and the road being closed to all traffic for at least a fortnight.

The three mile journey into Kingussie will be turned into a 25 mile round trip.

Tromie Bridge cannot stand any increase in HGV traffic. The illustration of a bus approaching the Bridge shows the difficulty that pedestrians and cyclists already encounter, and if there is continued heavy usage, it is only a matter of time before the stones of the retaining wall will be dislodged or the road begins to crumble into the river.

Either of those potential disasters would give rise to major and very expensive civil engineering works.

FLS have extracted timber for many years without requiring the construction of any new road…..suggesting that it is “Wildland” which is the active partner in this proposal, and that the true purpose is to provide a shortcut to Kingussie for their guests in Glenfeshie Lodge.

Meanwhile there is another very present threat to increase the HGV traffic in and about Tromie Bridge.

On 21 November last year, it was intimated in the Strathy that a planning application had been lodged for a major expansion of the distillery at Tromie Mills, east of Tromie Bridge.

Last month, Highland Council’s Transport Planning Team submitted a 4-page Memorandum expressing their concern about the lack of information in the planning application.

Planning consultants have now responded.

It is apparent that if the development were to proceed, there would be significant heavy traffic both in the construction of the new distillery and its day to day operation.

The recent damage to the bridge is overlooked, and there has been no consultation with local residents.

The consultants acknowledge that the visibility at the exit road is inadequate: but they have no proposals to improve road safety and expect the new development to be permitted solely because there has already been an operational distillery on the site !

Tromie Bridge is not only a historic treasure, it is also a vital communication link. It would be a long-term disaster if either of the proposed developments were to proceed.

John Barton

Drumguish.

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