Sir, I refer to the article reporting on Council Leader David Parker’s interview with Ally McGilvray in last week’s Border Telegraph. Mr Parker expresses his disappointment with the original design for the new train terminus in Tweedbank which is funded by Network Rail. He claims to have sent rail chiefs back to the drawing board with some new ideas on how to improve the look of the proposed building.

However, Mr Parker conveniently fails to mention how the additional costs to the Network Rail budget for this project might be met. The answer may lie in the fact that on December 12 last year councillors approved the spending of additional resources in the budget which included the disbursement of £250,000 for “Borders Railway Station Design”. With such a windfall available from the Council it should not have been too difficult to persuade Network Rail to return to the drawing board. In these circumstances Councillor Parker has every right to feel confident that the new park and ride station will be more in keeping with Tweedbank and give train passengers a greater sense of arrival.

I am, etc.

Andrew Farquhar Park View Hawick