Light rail service would put us back on track

THERE has been some mention recently on your letter page of long-closed railways around Cork.

May I add some information about the Cork, Bandon and South Coast Railway, (CB and SCR), a once major Irish railway that ran from Cork and serviced the towns of Bandon, kinsale, Clonakilty, Dunmanway, Drimoleague, Skibbereen and Baltimore.

Extensions later ran to Timoleague, Courtmacsherry and Schull. It had a route length of 93.75 miles, all single track. It's hard to believe that the whole network was closed in 1961 and the track was pulled up and sold along with the land. I wonder how many people have memories of travelling on that railway? Wouldn't it be marvellous to have a light rail running on similar routes today in this age of expensive petrol and dangerous roads?