Regarding ‘I fear for our environment’ – A27 thoughts from Dr Tony Whitehead, Sussex Wildlife Trust, Saturday SoapBox, May 4.
Post Second World War, the nationalisation of Britain’s worn-out railway forced massive motorway construction, leaving our small island today with a huge population and transport gridlocked, spewing-out cancerous pollution, killing humans and wildlife.
Railway goods yards have been redeveloped or made into car parks.
Brighton no longer has Kemptown railway station or the large goods yard, just traffic congestion and pollution.
The Cinderella rural South Coast Railway from Ashford International to Southampton, the West Country and Wales, believe it or not, is cut in half at an out-of-date Brighton terminus station.
Passengers have to cross eight platforms to continue their coastway rail journey, hence most go by road today.
Over a hundred years ago Brighton started the world’s first electric railway along the seafront. It is still going today, plus the all electric public transport, the tram until 1939.
In London, public transport spending is £2.56 per head, the South Coast is £5.
John Stanaway
Lorna Road, Hove
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