SIR — Living near Minehead and being a frequent traveller to London, it is in my interests to have a fast and efficient rail link from Minehead to Taunton to beyond.

I suspect this would also be in the interests of thousands of other local people and especially useful for Butlins holidaymakers, who can number 12,000 at any one time in the busy season.

I am hoping that a faster service could be accommodated with the current owners of the line, the West Somerset Railway. I would hope that both services could operate alongside each other.

With the increasing congestion on our roads and the government urging us to travel by public transport, developing this line for frequent and fast travel should be a compelling option for those with the funds, expertise and commercial acumen.

A few weeks ago the BBC focused our attention on the railways ("Inside Track"). One of the issues discussed was the predicted increase in rail travel over the next decade.

Currently the traveller can take the bus from Minehead to Taunton, which is a circuitous journey (detours via Watchet and Bishops Lydeard) and the journey takes 70 minutes (too long). It can be an unpleasantly cold and wet experience waiting for a bus in winter.

It is however cost-effective at £3.40. A taxi by contrast, is an uneconomic option at £35. Taking one's own car and calculating 35p/mile (all costs including depreciation) for an average car, this would cost £9.45 and takes 40 minutes. You must then add parking charges of £2/day.

If the Minehead-Taunton line could carry passengers in 35 minutes at say £5 one way, I am sure this would be an attractive option for many, and certainly cheaper for those people currently doing the journey by car.

I am not of course privy to the costs of running such a service and cannot predict its commercial viability. I simply look at it from an opportunistic marketing point-of-view.

I also understand that a diligent group of people have been working on this project for some time now and the funding situation is looking very optimistic. I would be happy to lend my support, if it were required.

Tim Holmes,

Steps Cottage,

Bratton.