The suggested closure of the Brighton-Watford train service will affect many local people because it provides a way of travelling to the Midlands, Manchester, North Wales and on to Glasgow without going through central London.

For older people this is a useful, in many cases vital, service because it avoids the need to carry luggage across London by tube, bus or taxi.

At Watford, lifts are available to make changing platforms easy.

The Brighton and Hove Older People's Council (OPC) has been inundated with telephone calls and letters confirming this.

We heard many personal stories, including that of a 92-year-old gentleman who uses the service on a fairly frequent basis.

We have decided to do all in our power to stop the projected closure.

The plan is part of the Strategic Rail Authority's (SRA) very detailed Brighton Main Line Route Utilisation Strategy. This had been introduced because Brighton-Victoria/London Bridge trains are severely congested at peak times.

The major proposal of the document is to turn the London-Gatwick Express trains, which are not so heavily used, into an essential part of the London-Sussex service.

This would give greater capacity and, by routing the express trains down to the coast, clear the lines at Gatwick Airport.

The proposal to stop the Watford service at Clapham Junction is

a very small part of the overall thinking.

The West London part of the line carries heavy commuter traffic at peak times but there are fewer passengers south of Clapham Junction.

Removing this part of the service would help in a very small way

to clear the tracks for the 12-car London trains.

We wrote to the SRA and the Customer Relations Manager at Southern to express our concern.

The letters were copied to the three local MPs, the South East England Regional Assembly and the South East England Development Agency.

The latter two bodies are concerned with regional transport matters and were consulted by the SRA.

It is now clear little, if any, thought has been given to the important link the existing service gives for older people to use trains running to the Midlands and the North.

Indeed, the SRA document looks forward to the creation of the East London Line because, it says, this will enable direct services north to south without the need to cross London or change stations.

Yet the document now suggests closure of the Brighton-Watford service which, in practical terms, currently provides a similar facility.

Termination of the service at Clapham Junction is not acceptable because no public lifts exist for platform changes.

If the service can no longer run to Brighton, it should terminate on a Brighton-line station where lifts are available.

Bob Gunnell, vice-chairman, Brighton and Hove Older People's Council,

-Wayland Avenue, Brighton