On right track

There was understandable concern last year when East Coast, the Government franchise that runs the line, came up with timetable proposals that would have cut the number of peak-time trains to King’s Cross.

Newark Business Club and Newark and Sherwood District Council are to be congratulated for their strong lobbying that forced a rethink and, indeed, achieved an enhanced service.

It highlighted a serious lack of forethought that with thousands of homes proposed through the Growth Point and other developments a cut in service should be considered.

Elaine Holt, the boss of East Coast, which is due to revert to private- sector ownership in 2012, gave an upbeat assessment of the line’s future when she spoke at a business club breakfast meeting on Friday.

Among her promises were more services, less over-crowding and more trains running on time.

In making that pledge she admitted performance was not as good as it should be.

Despite that fares are, of course, going up.

We are constantly being urged to use public transport to ease congestion and do our bit for the environment by reducing our carbon footprint.

Surely the best way to encourage more people to do this would be to provide the best possible service — which East Coast has set its sights on — but at a price that doesn’t make people think twice about taking the train instead of their car.