ONE has to pay a high price for silence these days. About twice a month I travel from York to London and back.

As I do not wish to listen to other people's phone conversations ("Hello, I'm on a train and it's on time") I reserve myself a seat in the "quiet" coach.

Until now this was coach D which was roughly in the centre of the train which meant only a short walk from the barrier at York and an equally short walk at Kings Cross.

However, the quiet coach has now been moved to coach B, which is almost at the rear of the train. (The first coach is coach M).

Now, when catching a train at York, coach B is almost opposite the barrier and also when arriving in York, which is not a problem. But the arrival and departure at Kings Cross means one has to walk (sometimes with heavy luggage) the whole length of the train.

I would be interested to know Great Northern Railway's reason for this change.

Mike Usherwood,

Mendip Close,

Huntington, York.

Updated: 10:23 Thursday, April 20, 2006