Adopt third rail and improve Alton connection…

It is good news that Surrey County Council is being so proactive about rail. Its recent proposal for the North Downs Line follows on from its suggestion that a new Alton-Guildford service should be provided, joining the North Downs Line at Ash and serving a new station at Surrey University.

But as for the North Downs Line ( RAIL 801), of the 46 miles between Reading and Redhill, 14 are already electrified in three separate sections, using the third rail. Given the nature of this route, wouldn’t it make more sense not only to extend the third rail, but also to hand over the operation from Great Western Railway to South West Trains, which already operates on two sections and has the appropriate kit?

There is considerable movement between Alton and Reading, and the journey by rail is competitively priced but currently very unattractive. It involves either a ten-minute walk from Ash Vale to North Camp, or a frighteningly tight connection at Ash, which, if missed, involves a wait of one hour. The need to wait for the level crossing gate to open adds to the tension.

Car parking at Ash Vale, North Camp and at Ash is minimal. And Ash Vale is 40-or-so steps from street level. The ideal solution for we Alton-Reading regulars would be a new two-level station where the Alton-Waterloo line crosses the North Downs Line to replace both Ash Vale and North Downs. Failing that, bring on the Alton-Guildford service and make the connections at Ash more frequent and attractive. Mike Gray, Alton