Short changed over railway investment

THE rail users of Yorkshire need to campaign to improve the railways radiating from Leeds (Tom Richmond, Yorkshire Post, September 10).

We have the most overcrowded trains, outside London, and the rolling stock is the oldest, slowest and most uncomfortable diesel trains in the country.

Most other regions south of here are getting new trains and we are having their cast-offs yet paying as much in fares. Even modern trains here are being moved south to a more lightly used line, and replaced by old ones with fewer seats.

London is having £23bn of rail infrastructure improvements, including 25kv electrification to 2018. Included in this is £3.4bn of new electric trains. Per capita, West Yorkshire should be having £4.78bn of investment in 25kv electrification and faster new trains. What are we getting? Nothing.

I have asked every MP in West Yorkshire to back a campaign for investment and every member of the Commons Transport Select Committee (CTSC) to recommend an order for new trains from Bombardier to keep their factory, the last one in Britain, in production instead of giving away £1.4bn to Siemens to sustain the German economy.

Forecast growth here is three to five per cent per annum over 10 years. Where will this growth be accommodated when peak-time trains are so full already it is impossible to travel home on the train of your choice from a hard day at the office?

Despair over arms fair

From: Sylvia Boyes, Wimborne Drive, Keighley.

WE have been vividly and emotionally reminded over the last few days of the events of 9/11 and the resulting suffering and sadness which are all too real (Yorkshire Post, September 12).

Unfortunately the response of those in power has been to deny a chance of examining the underlying causes of such atrocities which, it must be remembered, have happened in many parts of the world.

The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have meant the deaths and suffering of hundreds of thousands of people – all part of families and communities – and no doubt suffering in exactly the same way.

When the riots happened in London and other places recently, there seemed to be strong opinion of the need to examine why they had happened.

I would hope that governments would begin to act similarly before resorting to military solutions which all too often exacerbate the problem.

Therefore, it is in deep despair that I read of the grandiose arms fair, Defence and Security Equipment International (DSEi), which is being held in London this week.

In a world where death and destruction is becoming the norm, to have such government-sponsored sales pitches is obscene and makes mockery of all those whose lives are spent involved in humanitarian work – the feeding of the hungry and the clothing of the poor.

In praise of supermarkets

From: John Senior, Birchfield Grove, Skelmanthorpe.

IF you go by the evidence of letters in the Press and media reports, you would be led to believe that the majority of the population of this country are violently opposed to supermarkets in general and Tesco in particular (Yorkshire Post, September 10).

How then do these giants continue to thrive and make profits? They do so by supplying, at reasonable prices, food and goods of sound quality.

This is much appreciated by the silent majority who far exceed in number the influential members of the chattering classes. I dread to think what an ordinary family’s food bill would be if supermarkets did not exist.

From: John Proctor, Spring Close Farm, Kearby.

SAINSBURY’S slogan is “try something different today” so they are trying to create a supermarket by buying Wetherby’s only licensed hotel cum meeting place.

Morrisons are the prime market leaders in the Horsefair Centre and many small businesses profit from the large car park which enables shoppers to use them.

The population of Wetherby is said to be 14,000, well catered for by Morrisons, Marks & Spencer and – surprise, surprise – by Sainsburys, who already have a presence in Crossley Street, noted in particular for its Sunday service because it was reduced in size for late Sunday opening to fill Government legislation.

If Sainsbury’s win their bid to build on the site of the Ramada Jarvis hotel, business for the small shops will be sucked away. This effect already occurred since the larger service station opened about one mile from Wetherby in that fewer motorists drive into town.

“Try something different today” and stand up to this business bully.

No reply on immigration

From: Janet Berry, Barfield, Hambleton, Selby.

I SO agree with the comments of Jack Kinsman about the speech the Australian Prime Minister made about immigration (Yorkshire Post, September 13).

I sent a copy to William Hague and David Cameron and did not receive the courtesy of a reply.

When David Cameron was in Opposition, a reply was received to each and every letter within 10 days. Now you either do not receive a reply or a standard letter thanking you for your comments.

I have met David Cameron a couple of times before his election and was impressed with his ability to speak without notes and the promises he made about inheritance tax, the EU etc, all which he has broken.

The phrase “talk is cheap” comes to mind. We have no strong leadership and this country is extremely vulnerable at the present time.