I applaud Councillor Veitch’s statement in your article which refers to the provision of a local train service between Edinburgh, Dunbar and Berwick.

It must be understood by all those involved in promoting this proposal that this service, when introduced, needs also to serve the existing stations at Musselburgh, Wallyford, Prestonpans, Longniddry and Drem, as well as any new stations.

Ideally it should operate hourly but ‘clock-faced’ 30 minutes apart from the existing Edinburgh-North Berwick service, thus giving a half-hourly interval service between Edinburgh and Drem throughout the day on weekdays. It has been shown elsewhere that the shorter the interval between trains, the more passengers attracted to the service.

New housing developments in the towns immediately east of Edinburgh has led to significant passenger growth at the stations between Edinburgh and Drem. The rising populations there deserve a better service than the current hourly-interval service provided by the North Berwick trains on weekdays.

Alan Mackie Corporal John Shaw Court Prestonpans