Sir, – I refer to the rather naive and ill-informed leading article "Can hopes for rail line stay on track?" (D&S, Oct 12).

You suggest that the line's prospects will be "transformed" by making the "leap" from being a heritage railway, to becoming a commuter and shoppers’ link to Northallerton. Nothing could be further from the truth.

To my knowledge, no preserved railway in the country has managed this, although plenty have tried. The most recent line to have failed at this is the Wear Valley Railway.

It has to be remembered that the Wensleydale line closed to passengers in 1954, not as part of the Beeching cuts. I would suggest there were a lot more commuters and shoppers then, who did not have access to a motor car, and yet there were not the numbers to sustain the line. We now also have a regular bus service performing this task that appears to have plenty of spare capacity.

The Wensleydale Railway Company took over what was basically a very long, run-down siding, that had not been maintained to passenger standards for years, at a time of increasing infrastructure costs and safety regulations.

They had to "hit the ground running" and have performed admirably, given the limited resources, and due to the efforts of a largely voluntary workforce.

In actual fact they started as a "community railway" with no heritage pretensions, and have only quite recently (due, I think, to experience gained) transformed to become a heritage railway (with obvious community links). The tourism market is vast, and should not be underestimated – witness the success of the North York Moors Railway.

What the Wensleydale line has in bucket-loads is scenery. Like it or not, most tourists arrive by car, and a lot of them want to see a steam locomotive. If they can be tempted out of their cars to see the dale by train, and spend some money along the way, then everybody wins.

In the cold commercial world, just a line from Leyburn to Hawes (one honeypot to another) would be the most cost effective option, but given that most of the infrastructure needed is there, a return of passenger trains to the Northallerton end does make some sense; as I understand it will allow lucrative charter excursion trains to use the line.

A start on an extension from Redmire towards Hawes however, even if only minor to start with, will attract more publicity and possibly external funding. Such a project would also attract an influx of new volunteers.

BRUCE YARBOROUGH

Finghall, Near Leyburn.