A tram link to Southampton – what for? We already have a good rail link to this area.

Marchwood has a rail track and station, but no passenger trains.

Why not improve the existing rail and bus transport services, and whilst their at it reinstate a direct rail link to Andover? Again the track for this is in situ - the Laverstock loop which spurs off of the Romsey Salisbury main line just short of Salisbury Tunnel Junction, done by British Railways in 1988 for freight traffic and empty rolling stock due to the closure by Dr Beeching of the old Romsey Andover railway line.

Andover is the main town for us, as we are part of the Test Valley Council Area, yet if you want to go there from here (and some do) it must be done by car unless you take the train to Salisbury, and then wait nearly an hour for a stopping service to Basingstoke via Andover. By bus, forget it.

A better transport system to and from Andover, Marchwood and Fareham would be money better spent than this duplicated farce that is being proposed.

I am very much in favour of better transport facilities if it takes traffic off the roads and cuts congestion, but this plan really isn’t going to improve anything.

Craig Phillips

Romsey