REFERENCE the article in Snapshots of the Past, Echo February 28 on the recent book by Philip Horton regarding the Beeching Report of 1963.

In 1964 I was working a continental boat train from Dover Marina to Victoria. A gentleman came up to the cab window and passed the time of day, and said: “Do you know who I am?”

Without any hesitation I said: “You are Doctor Beeching”.

He then asked me what I thought of plans for the British railways. I replied with: ‘Not a lot”. He then said: “Nor do I driver, but like you I had a job to do under orders.”

In 1971 I attended a forum at the Swanage Mowlem with someone representing the government to answer questions on the proposed closure.

Given the floor his first words were: “How many of you came here tonight by train?”

Four people raised their hands.

He shrugged his shoulder and said: “There you are then.”

Everyone at the meeting except myself and another four were from Swanage and did not need to travel anywhere.

A point of issue is that the footfall of people using the railways and had purchased train tickets from Swanage and Corfe Castle was not a true record. Tickets, single or return, were credited to the issuing station outside the branch.

The true numbers of passengers passing through the station was never recorded.

JIM EVANS, Home Road, Kinson, Bournemouth