The news that the Government is holding a ‘consultation ­exercise’ into how the western franchise is going to be ­configured is always a cause for worry.

These are the people who had in their plans closing the entire railway system from Exeter to Penzance not too long ago. Such is the curse of ­running a railway as a standard shareholder business instead of a public service.

In order to ensure bungles are not unintentionally made, which will cause the net loss of mainline trains, provoked by the current stopping trains being diverted to roar through the central tracks at Totnes, it is necessary to be fully clued-up as to the original planned ­pattern of traffic through the two counties.

Brunel pioneered a main GWR railway route right down to Cornwall from London. Other railway companies helped and were integrated with his masterplan as his main railway passed through. Thus the railway was acting as a basic spine, from which all types of branch-line trains met up with the main line in ­herringbone fashion.

The smaller stopping trains brought their local passengers to the nearest large city station, from which passengers could easily change to a powerful, fast express train direct to London and other more northerly cities – not bothering with small halts, since the rural travellers were already on the near non-stop London express. Hence the Victorian trains reached London in times as good as those of any modern train of today.

This is the grouse of today, as broadcast stridently by the Peninsula Transport Group.

Essentially, therefore, if it is ‘in the stars’ that Ivybridge, Totnes, Newton Abbot, Teignmouth and Dawlish are going to be bypassed by express trains (Torbay stations already have their shuttle trains), there must be one- or two-coach diesel multiple units working as stopping trains to guarantee city-bound passengers are ­collected and assembled ready to board at Exeter.

That way Brunel’s plan will be restored, no one will lose out and net travel times will be improved. All stations will have active use, with the ­possibility of building more close-by highway intersections.

All power to the Totnes Rail Users Group. There is a pitched battle going on everywhere to keep stations staffed and guards on the trains. Time now to guard our railway – or what’s left of it.

Barry Vaughan

Townsend Close, West Alvington