Last updated 08:59, Saturday, 29 November 2008

FAR from being a step back in time, I am happy to argue that the new West Coast Main Line timetable being implemented from December 14 is a positive step forward for Cumbria following your article; “Train service is on wrong track” (News & Star, November 25).

Connected: Penrith passengers can still get to London after the changes

I would like to reassure readers in Penrith that they will not have to go to Carlisle to join a London train.

Although there will be fewer direct trains, at times when there are no through services to London there will be easy same-platform connections, usually at Lancaster, often taking less time than today’s direct trains.

And the fastest train of the day will run from Penrith to London Euston in just three hours.

It is also claimed that Oxenholme will be cut out of new high-speed services, but in fact there will be 11 direct trains a day from Oxenholme to London, compared to today’s ten, with the fastest in the new timetable scheduled in two hours 37 minutes.

There will be nine from London instead of ten but the average journey time will come down from three hours to two hours 41 minutes.

Carlisle will have Virgin Pendolino trains to London at 49 minutes past most hours, with a typical schedule of three hours 23 minutes and a best of three hours 12 minutes.

ALLAN McLEAN

Communications manager

Scotland & North England

Virgin Trains