COUN Charles Hall makes some interesting assertions in his letter about the location of a proposed Haxby station (August 28).

He notes the council is keen to build Haxby station at a location "easily accessible to pedestrians and cyclists" and "the council undertook detailed site-by-site analysis to assess the number of people who would use the station, traffic and air quality assessments".

All of this work apparently supports building the new station on the site of the former station in Station Road.

Unfortunately, much of this analysis (and public consultation) is now five years old and was done to support the aim of opening a string of local train stations (Strensall, Haxby, York Hospital) offering a frequent ten to 20-minute shuttle service into York.

Things have moved on since then.

After struggling to find the funds for this ambitious plan, the council has decided to press on with only opening Haxby station and trying to persuade the train operator to stop here (ie only an hourly service).

This presents a different scenario to the one Coun Hall paints for us. Instead of Haxby residents enjoying a leisurely walk to catch a convenient train into York, motorists from far and wide will funnel into Station Road - past a primary school - park at the largest car park Haxby has ever seen (now allotments) and catch their commuter train to Leeds.

Decisions about the location of Haxby station must be taken in the cold light of this new inter-city reality rather than basing them on the rosy glow of a local railway pipedream.

David Farnsworth,

Old Orchard,

Haxby, York.

Updated: 11:09 Tuesday, September 07, 2004