AS a daily user of York's railway station I have taken a keen interest in the various alterations it has undergone in recent months and years.

I fail to see the need for the additional handrails up the centres of the staircases to the footbridge. They may be bright and shiny but they reduce capacity by more than a fifth while anyone needing to hold on to a handrail could still hold on to the rails at the sides.

It has taken many months to have the roof replaced over Platform 4 while the other "improvements" take place. Meanwhile, the poor passengers are left in the rain.

I am still waiting for the roof to be replaced opposite platform 1.

Maybe then the additional cycle racks can be moved back so they are covered and made a little more secure to the ground.

As for the latest re-arrangement of the station frontage, cyclists entering the car park to get to the cycle racks will now have to pass the massed ranks of taxis.

Experience has taught me that professional taxi drivers are no friends of other road-users, let alone cyclists.

When turning into the car park from the Micklegate Bar direction cyclists are now pushed out into the flow of traffic to take the turn.

Also, when turning right out of the car park to go over the bridge towards Micklegate Bar the narrowing of that carrigeway means cyclists have to look for a much larger gap in the traffic because vehicles can no longer pass as cyclists struggle to get up to speed cycling up-hill.

Why does the council insist on narrowing carriageways so that cars cannot pass cyclists safely?

Dr Duncan Campbell,

Albemarle Road, York.

... and again

FOR the past ten years I've been a regular user of York Railway Station, arriving from home by bike with loaded panniers and a trailer.

A while ago a notice was placed by GNER at the bike racks stating all bags and panniers were liable to be searched.

I do not have a problem with this. However, a few weeks ago a new notice stated cyclists may not leave bags on their machines.

I spoke to the British Transport Police and I understand how difficult and risky their job is.

They didn't want to look inside panniers to see if all was well, because they could be booby trapped.

I was told that if I did leave panniers on my bike they could be removed and only returned to me for a fee, or even blown up in a controlled explosion. Oh dear.

The nearest cycle racks to the station are near the Odeon on Blossom Street, or opposite the Maltings pub. Both are a significant walk with luggage.

I could leave my panniers with the left luggage office for £5 an item a day, but not if I leave early or plan to arrive back late, because they are closed by then.

And, most unfairly, next to the cycle racks is the motorcycle area. Many of these machines have large pannier boxes and/or back boxes which are locked.

Close by is a car park for vehicles with boot space far larger than that of any cycle pannier.

Motorcyclists and car drivers are not being inconvenienced by the tightened security situation yet cyclists are.

So I'm not sure what to do with my bike, panniers and trailer when I next have to catch a train and I'm left with the bitter taste of terrorism winning in York.

John Cossham,

Hull Road,

York.

Updated: 10:39 Wednesday, September 28, 2005