How often does Councillor Sue John (Letters, January 6) actually travel on trains?

Either she travels infrequently or she travels without any attentiveness whatsoever.

If the Gatwick Express is of immense value to solving our transport problems, why is it every standard ticket between Brighton and London has on it the words "Route: Not Gatwick Express"?

Little surprise, then, that a Daily Telegraph report of September, 2004, suggested passenger numbers for the Gatwick Express had fallen ten-fold since 1990.

Why? Because all Brighton-to-London passengers are forbidden to travel on this service unless they pay a premium fare.

And why this premium fare?

Apparently, because the Express gets you into London Victoria three minutes before Thameslink and Southern trains, by not stopping at East Croydon or Clapham.

Well, what fantastic economics to pay more than 50 per cent extra to save three-minutes on the time of a journey.

Anyone unlucky enough to have commuted to London will know the two reasons why the Gatwick Express is a waste of space.

Firstly, a phenomenal proportion of commuters on the London-to-Brighton line only travel between East Croydon and London Victoria. Therefore, for the Gatwick Express to not stop at East Croydon to pick them up is crazy.

Secondly, stand on the East Croydon platform in the late afternoon and watch the Gatwick Express speed past in either direction.

It is miraculous if you see more than ten people per carriage. Whereas, it is equally miraculous to see less than 100 people in a Southern or Thameslink carriage.

By all means, keep the Gatwick Express, but change the title of the service, scrap the premium pricing and reform it so it stops at more stations to better serve the needs of customers.

Judging by Coun Sue John's letter, you would think she is perfectly happy with the existing express.

-Councillors Ted Kemble, Ken Norman, Brian Oxley, Ann Norman, Brighton and Hove City Council (Conservative)