IT is pleasing to read Central Trains is to provide (Hereford Times, May 17) longer trains between Hereford and Birmingham.

Can First Great Western now eliminate the preposterous eight coach London-bound juggernauts that travel virtually empty for 30 miles to Worcester Shrub Hill at an enormous cost in fuel, CO2 emissions, track wear and maintenance?

Smaller lighter trains of the sort Central Trains employ would be perfectly adequate for the numbers travelling between Hereford and Worcester.

They would be far more efficient, faster and would not need to be fetched when required, empty again, 70 miles from a depot in Bristol at similarly ridiculous costs. Changing at Shrub Hill would be an inconvenience but, for the numbers of London passengers, the costs of the current arrangements are wholly unjustified. At most times it is quicker from Hereford to travel via Newport and change anyway. Regionally crewed and operated units would be less likely to need to terminate at Ledbury.

What Hereford needs is not the vacuous gesture of prestigious inter-city services for the minority, including myself, who travel regularly to London but services which are reliable and cost efficient. That way Hereford stands more chance of holding on to its services rather than having them cut.

Lest anyone think these matters are First Great Western's commercial decisions we should remember they are financed through taxes. FGW is paid whether it carries five or 500 between Hereford and Worcester. There is no incentive to run the service efficiently. It's also an opportunity to keep running its obsolete, inefficient, 1970's rolling stock.

Stephen Horsfield, Southbank Road, Hereford.