Open Access

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While the country is in this nasty COVID-19 pandemic, with such a reduction in passengers the nation’s railways are running at an enormous loss.

But it’s because passenger services are essential that the trains continue to run.

The Government will need to get Britain back to work, and investment is the way to get businesses up and running.

The Government wishes to see a massive increase in the use of electric vehicles (EV). That would require massive investment in EV charging points.

Now, while an EV might have a range on a full battery charge of 200 miles, this is at an average speed of 27mph.

Increase that speed to 37mph and the range will fall to around 170 miles. A further increase to 47mph and you’re down to 125 miles, and at 57mph you will not do 100 miles.

And don’t expect to go any distance on a motorway at 70mph. Forget it unless you want to spend a minimum of 45 minutes recharging for every hour you travel.

As the nation moves away from diesel and petrol cars, EVs will cause a shift in travel to trains.

The Government needs to invest in electrification of current lines and in the reopening of closed lines, such as the Waverley route back to Carlisle, from Uckfield to Lewes, from Exeter to Plymouth via Okehampton, and Okehampton to Bude.

As a final thought, I have used public transport (mainly trains) a lot for over 50 years. I’ll bet that people who commute mostly by public transport have (as they fight infections more often) a much better immunity system than those who commute shut away in their cars.

Tim Naylor, Penzance

Those who watch Michael Portillo’s or Chris Tarrant’s rail journeys may have observed how many of the less populated and less affluent countries than the UK seem to have electrified most of their lines.

Here we are, entering the third decade of the 21st century, and we still have highly populated cities relying on diesel traction.

There are numerous examples - including Manchester to Chester and beyond; Manchester to Bradford, Leeds, Hull, Sheffield,

Derby and Nottingham; Bristol to Birmingham; Oxford to Worcester; Hereford, Shrewsbury; and so on.

If the Prime Minister’s message that our way out of COVID-19 is to ‘build, build, build’, then before we lose our in-house expertise, he has the ideal opportunity to put his words into action - on our railway. It’s electric oven-ready!

Tony Shield, Bury

ALAMY. An electric car charging point at Maidstone Services on the M20 motorway. Tim Naylor says electric cars will require charging so often that rail services (electrified) will provide a better and more effective option.