RESURRECTING the idea of a Glasgow centre to Glasgow Airport rail link is about as sensible as the Edinburgh trams fiasco ("Airport rail link could still go ahead, says Yousaf", The Herald, November 20), and Letters, November 20, 21 & 22). While the monorail sounds a much better solution, an upgraded rail link between Glasgow centre to Prestwick Airport would seem like a much more sensible and cheaper option.

Flybe and, if rumours are correct, Easyjet are circling overhead with an interest in Prestwick. This under-used airport could well be developed to take traffic from Glasgow and a rail link already exists. It could no doubt be upgraded at a fraction of the cost of the proposed transport links in Glasgow. Buses to Abbotsinch are already a fairly efficient and cheap way of getting passengers to and from the centre of Glasgow.

In the late sixties, while living in Prestwick, a friend persuaded me to become involved in the campaign Save Prestwick Airport. The reasoning for this was that the great and good in Glasgow council wanted to develop an often fog-bound Abbotsinch rather than develop a virtually fog-free Prestwick. At that time it also had one of the longest runways in Europe. As usual politics, rather than common sense, won. Now back living in the area it surprises and saddens me to see how under-used Prestwick is.

Perhaps the residents close to the airport might not appreciate this letter, but just maybe many more would welcome easier links to the world beyond. It should also give a much needed boost to the local economy.

Ian Smith,

111 Dutch House, Kilmarnock Road, Monkton.

IT is interesting that ex-councillor Ian Hutchison (Letters, November 21) suggested new route thinking, including Braehead for the Glasgow Glasgow Airport Rail Link (Garl) and also comments on the Glasgow South Orbital (A726).

As a retired engineer who worked initially for Lanark County and Renfrew County before Strathclyde Region so I was able to study the then C -Ring Road from both ends, A8 (now M8) at Shawhead, to the Raith Interchange on M74, then via High Blantyre, East Kilbride, Newton Mearns, south Paisley and terminating at M8 south of M898. I contributed to the start, at the design stage, of the Bellshill bypass by Lanark County Roads Department and then link section from Raith to High Blantyre.

Thereafter, the region spent much time deliberating alternatives around Eaglesham instead. However, in addition because of traffic advantage but not cost, two influences persuaded the go-ahead of the South Orbital length; ex-Councillor Hutchison and maybe I helped. On the re-opening of the Paisley Canal line, Malcolm Waugh, whom I knew from Lanarkshire and the C-ring road near High Blantyre, was in my office and we discussed that route. As he was chairman of Highways, the route was progressed as built by the region`s roads department.

At the time of the planning proposals for the Braehead development, when the railway line to Braehead power station was still there, I investigated that route as a possible line to serve the shopping centre, and their potential contribution, then extend to Renfrew town and on to the airport. The problem then was the crossing of the River Cart and Babcock's protected occasional use for shipping requiring a higher level structure, plus new housing in Renfrew. At the same time, the original proposal via Paisley offered a much, much cheaper and apparently simpler alternative, so the concept withered.

JA Taylor,

19 The Fieldings, Dunlop.

THE nasty experience of G Braidwood Rodger (Letters, November 20) in paying more for a Busby-Edinburgh ticket than individual Busby-Glasgow/Glasgow-Edinburgh tickets should surprise no one.

The Scottish Government, Transport Scotland, previous franchisee First ScotRail and now Abellio ScotRail have all promised “ticket rationalisation” for two decades now. But what has been done beyond promises of jam tomorrow?

The solution lies in the hands of Abellio ScotRail. It possesses up-to-date ticketing systems (or the company says it does), and it is a simple matter for all the various ticketing injustices inflicted on us poor passengers by Abellio to be corrected by Abellio.

Gordon Casely,

Westerton Cottage,

Crathes,

Kincardineshire.

SCOTRAIL should follow its own advice (“See it, say it, sorted”) regarding rail fares. It has not sorted it.

Elizabeth Anderson,

55 Kingston Road, Bishopton.