Improvement isn’t keeping status quo

SIR, – The piece on “New high-speed trains” (Press and Journal, September 15) makes interesting reading. Leaving aside the discussion over whether the trains are “new” or “refurbished” there are still a number of points that bear further examination.

First, if I recall correctly, Abellio, when they took over the ScotRail franchise, promised new and better trains. Yet ScotRail Alliance managing director Alex Haynes has now said “I can absolutely guarantee that it will be no WORSE than it is today”.

This is simply not good enough,

the promise was for improvements not a maintenance of the status quo!

Secondly, existing HST trains are better than DMUs because they have more toilet provision, legroom and bike space.

ScotRail plans to add more seats to the carriages by removing toilets and decreasing bike space and possibly legroom – would it not be better to add an extra carriage and retain the toilets, legroom and bike space?

Finally, while the limited improvements on the Aberdeen to Inverness, Glasgow and Edinburgh journeys are to be welcomed, always assuming that these journeys are covered by the HST fleet, what of those commuting from say Huntly, Inverurie, Stonehaven and Laurencekirk to Aberdeen?

Will they always see HSTs or will the class 170 & 158 DMUs soldier wearily on?

Abellio promised great things for ScotRail passengers and while the Glasgow and Edinburgh rail users may be about to see some of these things arrive, Aberdeen and the north-east are as usual left waiting on the platform.

Graham Barron, Southview,

Drum of Wartle

What a nasty man and to use that vow added by the Christian church at marriage, that a woman must obey a man, and how dare he use it against his wife in court. Will this quash his sentence, will today’s court agree with the church’s vow?

Lynne Digby

Wot a horrible beast hope the poor woman can find a way to get on with her life & gets help to recover from the mental torture

Helen Campbell

Just read about it in the paper am surprised she is still living after what this evil man put her through

Nic Turnbull

No words can discribe this man. Poor woman. Hope she gets justice.

Irene Caroline Hingston Black

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