Co-ordination was key to rail’s success

with regard to some of the problems associated with our railways, I have always been a very keen supporter of train travel and always shall be, it is therefore most disconcerting to witness the constant problems that seem to abound at the present time.

When the lines were originally run by a multiplicity of companies, and indeed after the 1922 grouping when the Big Four were introduced, they have admirably and most efficiently managed by such leading lights of genius as Sir Nigel Gresley and Sir William Stanier.

They were all so skilfully co-ordinated together in a most masterly and competent fashion with proper trains that were comfortable, often luxurious, reliable and usually prompt.

I will not go into the endless merits of steam traction here. Overcrowding was never a big issue as there was always plenty of rolling stock. If there were more people, you hooked up more carriages.

It all began to go downhill after nationalisation with the modern scourge of the “cutting back” obsession. The more recent “private companies” have hardly fared much better.

The present shortage of rolling stock is an utter disgrace. It is all the worse in the light of the crazy, ill-judged and short-sighted destruction of railway vehicles in the smash-it-all Sixties.

Not only well-built and solid pre-war stock from the various companies but also, virtually new post-war BR standard vehicles that could have seen at least 60 years of useful life were scrapped. Thousands of them.

On high-speed rail, would not such large sums of money be better spent upon the re-laying of many of the routes that were arbitrarily destroyed, thereby creating thousands of permanent positions, as well as endless benefits to the areas they serve?

So many could be put back on the railway map. In Yorkshire alone, there are such places as Ripon, Market Weighton, Wetherby and Pickering that would benefit. This last town is at least now connected by courtesy of the much-valued and highly praiseworthy Moorsline (NYMR). A southerly link would be most highly desirable.

Surely all this makes for good sense at a time when thinking people have re-considered the all round common sense of a good comprehensive public transport service, as opposed to the fanatical and misguided anti-rail paranoia of the 1960s era.

Please let us get it right this time.

From: A B Emmerson, Park Road, Bingley.

On Friday January 6, I travelled to Leeds on the train. I was astounded to be asked for £2.10, not the usual £1 and my pass.

I have not heard a word of this rise affecting pensioners and I am disgusted. Plenty of promises, but no word of such a big loss to pensioners. I am told that it is because of no charge on the buses.

What next will this Government do?

From: Iain Morris, Caroline Street, Saltaire, Bradford.

when I was at the Art School in Hull (1966-1970) big intercity trains ran between Hull and Liverpool besides smaller services (Tom Richmond, Yorkshire Post, January 9).

Why can’t they do that now?

From: Dr Trevor Dale, Bachelor Gardens, Bilton, Harrogate and Dr Adrian Morgan, Trinity Park, Ripon.

We, like many, have been cautiously looking at the proposal for the Harrogate Line. Unlike our local politicians we do not rush in but fear to tread.

One of our concerns is Skelton Junction, presently the victim of political attack. Anyone can see from a visit to York Railway Museum just how busy the East Coast Main Line is at Skelton. It is not that busy to warrant its removal. The occasional waits there from Harrogate may well be caused by trains missing their slot because of delays in the long single track sections. However, the true mischief lies in York itself.

A much better proposal would be for one additional new track on the west side from Skelton Junction as far as the Railway Museum where the station throat begins. This would allow for simultaneous departures for the north by transPennine and East Coast trains.

Customers are more canny

From: Gillian Paddock, Park Avenue, Hull.

I HAVE to say that I am not surprised at Tesco’s poor results. They must surely be aware that in these straitened times we have all become much more savvy.

The internet gives people the ability to check prices in every store, plus you don’t even have to visit the store to buy as it can all be done online.

The Tesco Big Price Drop was the usual “lower some prices and hike the rest to fund it” exercise, something which the supermarkets have always done and we, the customers are aware of this.

For example, I have seen the price of an item I have bought regularly for some time (Tesco brand facial wipes) rise from 65p before Christmas to £2, which is quite a hefty increase.

I commented on this on their Facebook page and the response was that they were sorry that an item I buy was not chosen to be part of the Big Price Drop. No, it was part of the Big Price Hike instead.