On the front page of the Observer (June 29), Mayor Peter Taylor claims to be looking for an alternative to the presently defunct Metropolitan Line Extension. He must eventually realise that there is no real alternative to this project; it should either be built completely and properly or not built at all.

He appears to be considering a light rail/tram system or a guided bus way. Both of these will be just as expensive as a properly built MLX — and who will pay for it? Certainly not the Mayor of London. It would be nowhere near as useful, necessitating as it would an awkward change of mode at Croxley. I have said before in these pages that the cheapest option would be to use his limited influence to effect the introduction of an intensive bus service between the town centre and Watford Metropolitan Line station.

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Another option to be considered is to persuade Sadiq Khan to extend the Bakerloo line to Watford Junction. Three Bakerloo trains per hour, alternating with three London Overground trains would bring about a 100 per cent improvement in the local service at stations north of Harrow & Wealdstone; this would be much cheaper than the MLX to Watford Junction, although arguably not as useful.

There are already plans to extend the Bakerloo line southwards towards Lewisham, which will necessitate the construction of extra trains when the dreadful 1972 rolling stock is eventually scrapped, so at the same time a couple more can be built to serve Watford.

Rodney Salter,

Eastbury Road, Watford

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