I wonder how often Craig Hoy MSP travels by train from Edinburgh to Dunbar? A regular commuter would not have referred to the “southbound service from Edinburgh to Dunbar at 5.54pm” in last week’s Courier. I suspect he meant the 5.30pm from Edinburgh, which leaves Dunbar for its journey south at 5.54pm.

More seriously, prior to the pandemic, I had been a regular commuter between Dunbar and Edinburgh for 20 years and had welcomed the gradual improvements to the service over this period as the population of Dunbar and the number of commuters to Edinburgh both grew.

The possible loss of the 5.30pm service would have very serious consequences for commuters. I don’t know if figures are available for average passenger numbers from Edinburgh to Dunbar between 5pm and 6.15pm, but the services are all very busy and I suspect that there would typically be well over 100 passengers for Dunbar on the 5.30pm train. There won’t be room for them on the other services, so where will they go? Will they have to commute by car?

I wonder if it would be feasible for the ScotRail service arriving in Edinburgh from Dunbar at 5.41pm to make a return journey to Dunbar? This would not be ideal, but it might provide a basis for a solution, particularly if the departure time could be brought forward a little.

Allan Wilson

Broxburn Cottages

Dunbar