Voice of the Argus (April 20) was headed "Don't treat us like cattle". Cattle rail passengers are, one hopes, stringently protected by European Union health and safety regulations.

Similar treatment of human passengers would be an improvement.

If South Central is bringing in non-passenger-consulted carriage design with more standing room but much less room for disabled people, cyclists and luggage plus crammed-in bucket seating similar to airlines, one wonders what will be the state of health of passengers on the Victoria to Portsmouth journey via Hove or on the time-consuming coastal shuttle service between Bournemouth and Ashford.

European Union partner states are standardising and integrating their railways. The UK may become the only European rail network with an isolated, disjointed, non- standardised third-class service, a demoralised workforce and passengers paying first-class fares.

-John Stanaway, Lorna Road, Hove