I AM very disappointed to hear the negative comments made about the efforts of some East Cambs district councillors and officers towards the reopening of Soham station.

I applaud their efforts and hope they will continue to pursue this goal.

I know that they have been working very hard to convince various bodies that the station is wanted and needed to help the town expand and grow and that they have faced a lot of opposition sometimes from surprising quarters.

To suggest that the train connections to Newmarket and Cambridge are being ignored is ridiculous. Until we have a functioning rail station at Soham there are no rail connections to anywhere.

Once we have a station there will be no reason why Soham residents cannot travel either to Ely or to Newmarket and beyond, reconnecting the town to the rest of the country.

I do agree however, that the level of bus services provided to and from Soham and its surrounding villages is appalling. Anyone who wishes to travel by bus to either Ely or Newmarket after 6.30pm will have to resign themselves to staying at home.

Should they be hoping to return from either of those places using public transport after an evening out then the only choice is a taxi – well beyond many people’s budget.

So please can we concentrate on getting a rail station and then renewing our connections but in the meantime an improved bus service would be a real benefit.

ROSEMARY AITCHISON

Soham

Via e-mail