A COMMENT about the Wealden Line £1 billion reopening plans in the Courier (August 13).

I used to live just outside Uckfield from 1950 to 1988 and would love to see the Uckfield to Lewes or Brighton line reopened. But we are all in the middle of a recession that could go on for another two or three years and Network Rail has already said, no, it's not worth it.

Also the Wealden Line has forgotten to say about London Bridge. By 2012 London Bridge will have four straight, through lines to Waterloo East and Blackfriars, instead of two lines with very tight curves and that will make a big difference to train services in the south east.

I am a member of The Spa Valley Railway, what's going to happen to us if they decide on Tunbridge Wells via Groombridge. And what about Sainsbury's? Sainsbury's, could you move your supermarket so we can build a railway line through here? What about Grove Tunnel? I believe that tunnel is too narrow for today's trains. Why go from Eridge to Tunbridge Wells when there are already two buses an hour and they don't carry many passengers and at Tunbridge Wells we already have four trains an hour after 9am?

Please don't get me wrong.

I would love to see the Uckfield section to the south coast reopened, but I can't see the Eridge to Tunbridge Wells bit happening.

But look at the Bluebell Line. Just to reopen that short bit of line from Kingscote to East Grinstead is going to cost around £4 million and a fair bit of the work has been done by volunteers.

R D Gould

Upper Grosvenor Road

Tunbridge Wells