IN REPLY to your editorial in the BEN on February 6. Your headline "Missing link leaves town out on a limb" is rather an exaggeration.

I believe the future for the town's rail system is not "bleak", as you put it. Your comments about Bolton having a tram system rejected, while Bury, and now Oldham, will benefit, requires certain facts to be clarified.

Bury was totally suitable for a tram system as it is the end of the line from Manchester, with no through trains to anywhere other than Manchester/Altrincham.

Oldham is on a line which is effectively a circle, going to Rochdale and back to Manchester, again no through trains.

Bolton, however, has through trains to Glasgow, Southport, Blackpool and the airport.

Your proposed tram system could not run on the existing track without seriously disrupting through services. Are you proposing the trams run on the existing roads, or a completely new route?

Short term, all that is needed is the train companies to get their acts together and increase the frequency of the local trains and provide the much publicised extra carriages.

While improvements to the station, such as toilets and voice timetables, is very commendable, the trains themselves surely must be the first priority.

Alan Towler

Kilsby Close

Farnworth

Bolton