Missed opportunities

AS AN enthusiastic traveller, one feels dismayed over the lack of pragmatism shown regarding the timetabling of certain trains. In our high-tech day and age, there is surely no justification for obvious blunders leading to passengers missing out on potentially much better services due to this. Let me illustrate with an example; viz. the overnight Caledonian Sleeper service (also conveying limited seating accommodation) from Euston to Fort William. Departing London at 21.15 (Monday-Friday), it is scheduled to stop at Preston at 00.30 and its next official stop is at Glasgow Queen Street at 05.48. It may stop at Carlisle for crew changing purposes, but no one is allowed to board it there. Twenty-five years ago, I was contemplating a journey to Fort William from Workington, Cumbria, and was actually advised by National Rail Enquiries to travel via Preston (roughly 100 miles in the wrong direction) if I wished to use this service. If passengers were allowed to board at Carlisle, it would open up much better travel opportunities to this part of Scotland by day visitors using this station, and it is interesting to note that it is timed to connect perfectly with ‘The Jacobite’ steam-hauled service over the ‘Harry Potter’ line to Mallaig. I think the attitude towards the traveling public by train operators is dire and long overdue for an overhaul. David Jenner By email