It’s good news Watford Borough Council hasn’t given up on a link between the Met Line and Junction. (Bid to save Met Line link...without trains, Watford Observer, February 4) Then the story veers off “potentially a tram”, “unlikely to be heavy rail”. A self-contained “tram” was considered for the Abbey Line. The cost made it a total non-starter, even with second hand trams. A whole infrastructure for a small operation made no sense. Any link must be seamless, changes en route make them less attractive. They work in airports where longish waits are the norm. They certainly don’t come cheap. Luton Airport’s link has a £225 million price tag.

It is all about affordability. Remember the reason the project “hit the buffers?” The extraordinary price tag. It grew like Topsy to £357 million in 2017. At that rate it by now it would have reached £1/2 billion!

The main works are obviously bridging the canal, river and roads. So I looked online for a recent comparison of alternative bridges and the very first new one listed is Pooley Bridge in Cumbria. Washed away in Storm Desmond in 2015 and due to reopen this summer. Just look at it on the New Civil Engineer website. It is quite a stunning structure. It is being built in a far tougher climate than West Watford with future weather proof resilience added. Constructing a bridge over the River Gade is unlikely to be halted because of poor weather, let alone suffer from a future hurricane.

Most importantly, look at the price tag, just £5.5 million. Cumbria is not of course identical to Croxley but the comparisons all point to the same conclusion, one is good value and not built on the cheap, whilst the other nearer home is a rip off.

Overpricing is not unusual when it comes to railways; look at HS2, then look away quickly! Nearer home a more tangible example of overpricing is the passing loop proposed for Bricket Wood on the Abbey Line, £10 million. What was the Pooley Bridge price tag again? Can £357m for Croxley be an honest figure? TfL cut the price of their new tube line to Battersea so it is possible. I am still waiting for MP Dean Russell to get back to us on that issue.

Hopefully with adjacent councils including the county on board it might make headway. It will fail as a narrow party issue. Sort out the costs, work together and you can have a seamless rail connection.

Leslie Freitag

Watford Rail Users Group