Madam,

I am concerned about some of the negative comments made in letters to your paper regarding the Mott MacDonald report on reopening the railway.

Firstly, the railway does not show an operating loss; there is an operating profit.

Secondly, examination of the capital costs show that the direct construction cost is only £288 million out of a total estimated capital cost of £750 million. The balance is made up of a combination of design, project management and compensation charges, together with a huge contingency provision of £276 million.

This contingency is almost 100 per cent of the direct estimated construction cost. Over 90 per cent of the line is on the original track bed, which had 100 years of use to consolidate any settlement of slumping.

Apart from the new tunnel near Aberystwyth, the cutting at Llanfarian, shoring up the track bed adjacent to the Ystwyth River near Llanilar and some remedial works through Cors Caron, I would have thought the geotechnical and engineering risks were not substantial.

Thirdly, the benefits used to calculate the benefit/cost ratio are, by nature, fairly subjective, but do not include the strategic benefit, but which surely is hugely important.

If Wales is to be considered as a country, rather than disconnected appendages to England, then good north-south connections are imperative. This railway line would be vital in at least providing a good connection between mid Wales and south Wales.

Yours etc,

Trefor Williams, Pontrhydygroes.

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