Regarding the article by Chris Loder our MP calling for improvements to Dorchester station.

This is all very good and needed but shouldn’t he be ploughing his efforts in reversing the cuts to the service from Waterloo to Weymouth and Dorchester first?

What’s the good of a new station with hardly any trains? The service has been cut to one an hour in the week, with the two early trains and last train from Waterloo scrapped. This must be reversed.

Weymouth is a seaside resort and needs all the help it can get for tourism, encouraging the use of public transport is paramount to reducing emissions from car travel and a greener economy.

Dorchester is also a popular destinations with the new County Museum now open, Thomas Hardy and Roman and historical connections.

To help the Covid recovery we must encourage tourism here and the two trains an hour reinstated soonest and also the late train back, so I can watch my Saints team on an evening game.

But please let’s get our priorities right and get the full service reinstated now.

BARRY THOMPSON

Chairman, Dorchester & District Labour Party