Friday's Letters: Reasons behind the major delays on Northern rail lines

The reason for the major delays from Ilkley and Skipton to Leeds on January 8 was that scrap metal being carried on a freight train was reported to be close to touching the overhead electric lines at Kirkstall Junction outside Leeds station.

The freight train blocked the lines from Leeds to Skipton and Ilkley for 90 minutes and this caused cancellations and delays to Northern services, including to the 08.31 service from Guiseley to Leeds. Many of our trains and train crew were unable to leave Leeds station when they should have been operating to and from Skipton and Ilkley.

Our communications system was not updated in time to give accurate information about the 08.31 service to our employees at Guiseley and to update our information screens. We apologise to everyone who was affected by this.

Eight customers who had bought tickets at Guiseley station but then decided not to travel asked for, and were given, refunds at the station ticket office that morning.

We are very aware of the need to provide accurate real-time information to customers and, with partners including West Yorkshire PTE, we have invested 3m in new information screens and public address systems at dozens of West Yorkshire stations.

On the issue of punctuality, we run 2,550 train services every day across the north of England and have improved from 84 per cent of trains on time in 2004, when Northern started, to 92 per cent in 2009.

One reason for this improvement is that our large, complex fleet of trains, which range from seven to 25 years old, is 40 per cent more reliable than it was in 2004.

We have established plans in place to prepare our trains for severe weather and in the last four weeks the vast majority of our trains have performed well, and 82.6 per cent of our trains have been on time despite the heavy snowfall and extreme cold.

Contrary to Mr Richmond's assertion, the recent problems caused by the snow will be included in our public performance figures.

Our trains are older than most because when the Northern franchise was set up it was on the assumption that the operator of the franchise would run the same services, using the same trains, for the next seven years.

All rail franchises inherit trains from their predecessors and there was no investment available to replace or improve the trains that we inherited, and new trains tend to be funded by Government. We are working with the Department for Transport on plans to introduce additional carriages between now and 2014.

From: Steve Butcher, area director, Northern Rail.

From: M Shepherd, Pocklington.

I READ Tom Richmond's horror story. My main concern is why Heidi Mottram, the outgoing chief executive, is getting an OBE? She runs one of the worst railway services that I know of, and lots of friends are continually inconvenienced by that service.

She should not be getting an award. Perhaps, if her train to London was delayed by six hours, she would understand the frustration felt by her passengers.

Farmers need support not paperwork

From: Peter Green, Barmby Road, Pocklington.

IT has been a fairly depressing winter this year, with various vital resources unable to cope: schools closed, transport disrupted, and the much-vaunted wind farms unable to provide any power during the vital time when they are most needed. They appear to be practically useless.

One of the biggest worries, not only in Yorkshire, but throughout the UK, is the gradual and ever-increasing dependence on foreign food.

Most farmers are operating their businesses with one hand tied behind their backs, with more and more restrictions imposed on them from dear old Europe. I keep a few sheep, and for my 20 odd, I receive something like four inch thickness of rules and regulations by post every year, with the latest huge bundle dealing with the totally unnecessary electronic tagging regulations.

In among all this inflexible bureaucracy from Defra is emerging a truly desperate situation regarding our food supplies. Since 1985, some 16,000 dairy farmers have left the industry because of either poor returns and a loss of wholesale dairies. We have imported milk for processing for years, but to be in the position of importing liquid milk is nothing but bad management from the Government, who have allowed a situation to develop where dairy farmers are selling milk at break-even cost. Pig farmers and parts of the arable sector are in, or approaching, a similar situation.

If we don't have a complete shake-up of the farming industry, where farmers are encouraged rather than kicked out, then dependence on imports will choke the life out of both farmers and consumers.

Does Defra exist for the support of the industry? If not, then why does it exist at all?

Winter chills

From: Mrs S Nugent, Scaife Garth, Pocklington.

THIS long period of wintry weather brings back memories for me. During the winter of 1947, it must have been horrific working in those conditions, but I was 13 years-old. I was in the Stockton Swimming Club, along with a gang of other boys and girls and swam every Wednesday (threepence an hour!)

One Wednesday, making our way to the baths undeterred by the slippery and icy conditions, we were met there by the manager, who informed us that due to a lack of fuel, the pool was unheated. However, if we wanted to swim, we could use the pool for free. Free! He was nearly knocked over in the rush as we jammed the turnstile getting in.

I was the first on the poolside. I don't know whether I jumped in or was pushed, but I was first in. I nearly died with the shock of the icy water; I couldn't speak or move, nor breathe. I gave a thumbs up to my pals so that they all jumped in too (they never forgave me). The screams could be heard in the next county and we all desperately tried to get out, faster than we got in.

Dressed, with teeth chattering we dashed to the warmth of our usual fish and chip shop. Mrs Simmons at the shop took one look at us and herded us into the back room which had a fire in a black leaded range. "Get in there, you daft beggars, just look at the state of you." A pile of newspaper saved to wrap the fish suppers up was used to mop up the worst of the wet in our hair and we were all pushed and pulled until we were buttoned up and belted properly. Our faces were covered in newsprint and I swear my friend Bobby Smith had Northern Echo plastered on his forehead. We didn't care really, because Mrs Simmons had placed a big bowl of chips on the table. We were eventually pushed out into the street with entreaties from her to go straight home and the words: "And don't think you are getting free chips every week – regulars or not." The contrast of the coldness and the warmth we experienced that night has stayed with me.

Media heroes

From: Brian Sheridan, Redmires Road, Sheffield.

IT isn't fashionable to praise the media but let's give credit where it is due. As a retired person it is reassuring to be awakened at 8am by a cheerful radio presenter who has braved the appalling weather to arrive at the studio in the middle of the night. I can switch on the TV to see a reporter from the Outer Hebrides remind me how lucky I am to be safe at home with "nowt spoilin'" as my mother used to say.

Best of all, despite 12 inches of snow, thanks to you, my newsagent and my paper-boy, my beloved Yorkshire Post continues to appear on time.

Council shame

From: F Lennon, Heathcroft Vale, Leeds.

I AM writing to highlight the way in which Leeds City Council run their business. Some people have been housebound since before Christmas due to ice on roads and footpaths. I could not believe it when I saw about six men with machines clearing snow around Elland Road football ground ready for the match the next day.

All were Leeds City Council workers.

S'no fun

From: Rev PN Hayward, Allonby, Maryport, Cumbria.

I WAS pleased to see your report (Yorkshire Post, January 6) of the warnings of Cheshire Police against the throwing of snowballs, after a bus driver had been struck in the face. The practice has also been banned in many school playgrounds. The spell of wintry weather supplies a rare opportunity for the habit to be outlawed, although I would have thought that throwing things at people was basically an offence, even if not in the same league as grievous bodily harm.

What on earth is the motive behind snow throwing?

The winds of change are just not blowing

From: D Wood, Thorntree Lane, Goole, East Yorkshire.

CONGRATULATIONS on a very well-thought out article on power and energy provision ("Cold snap sends shivers through energy policy," Yorkshire Post, January 8). At last, someone, in this case Tony Lodge, has realised that wind turbines are not the answer to our energy supply problems.

We in Goole are about to be surrounded by these hugely expensive white elephants, and yet since the snow began three-and-a-half weeks ago we have had only one-and-a-half days of very light winds in this area, which if the turbines were turning at all would barely have charged a car battery.

As Mr Lodge states, in very cold snaps and also in very warm spells, both times of high power consumption there is more often than not no wind to be had, thus no power from these inefficient monstrosities. Alternative sources of power need to be developed, but these machines have proved they cannot meet the challenge.

Of the ideas around, the tides hold the best promise and would provide a constant source of power as the tides never stop. Most of the required technology is already available with a little modification to adapt to the marine environment. Instead of wasting money on wind power, we should spend it on developing the much more reliable sources available from our seas.

Mugs or glasses but not bottles

From: JW Hasney, Skipton, North Yorkshire.

MAY I point out to Jane Harrison (Yorkshire Post, January 5) the main reason for beer mugs going out of favour was because the first glass washing machines used in pubs could not cope with anything that had a handle.

I still think people should be given a preference, mugs or glasses in my opinion are still better than drinking from a bottle which seems to be the done things these days. When I was in the licensed trade, it was against the law to even let a bottle go over the counter. The reason given was that it was too easy to pick up and use as a weapon.

Tax on sickness

From: Dennis Whitaker, Baildon, Shipley.

MG Bisby believes that NHS parking charges should be banned forthwith. Irrespective of what use these charges are put to, they represent a "tax on sickness" which no decent society should sanction (Yorkshire Post, January 11). Furthermore, not only do they fail to take into account a person's ability to pay, but the time element ensures that visitors required to spend above average time in the hospital are more heavily penalised.

MG Bisby is right and the politicians know it.

History lessons

From: Mrs BA Bayston, Perth Street West, Hull.

I READ with sadness about the loss of soldiers' lives in Afghanistan and Iraq.

My grandfather was injured fighting in the First World War. He was sent home and eventually died from his injuries in 1919. His daughter, my mother, was five-years-old. I think about the grandfather I never knew and like the young fathers that are losing their lives today, their children's children will never know their grandfather.

I can't help thinking that after 90 years situations would have been different.

History keeps repeating itself.