Buses have their place, but the Lakes need a new rail link

With reference to Roger Davies’ reply to my letter (LTT 25 May & 08 Jun), first, I must apologise to the good people of Coniston for assuming the Gondola sailed on Windermere.

As for Roger’s suggestion that incorporating the X4/X5 Penrith-Workington bus routes into the rail timetable would make the case for re-opening the Penrith to Keswick railway unnecessary, let me say that I am usually a bus man at heart but the capacity required to both improve access to Keswick while reducing reliance on car-borne traffic is beyond their compass. We are trying to reduce the need for car traffic and a renewed train service is the answer, not an enhanced bus service.

I didn’t suggest the buses should be withdrawn and, as Roger points out, bus companies thrive on competition in a deregulated environment. The issue here is one of capacity: the more Keswick develops its tourist profile, the more capacity will be required and the more the roads will creak under the pressure. Keswick and  Borrowdale cannot expect to grow without the capacity offered by a railway.