WITH reference to Kath Chapman's miserable train journey from Horwich to Manchester and back (Nov 28).
What she says is perfectly true and my many friends who also use this service confirm her views. Is it not true to say that these terrible conditions exist throughout the whole railway services?
She may well have asked who is to blame? Certainly not British Rail, Kath. The privatisation programme and the fragmentation into a 100 different companies, including Railtrack, is the main cause.
The sale of our railway system at knockdown prices in order to provide the Tory Government with immediate funds to fund the promised tax cuts prior to the 1997 election was disastrous.
For example, Railtrack, valued at £5 billion, was sold for £1.5 billion. In turn, the newly-formed non-experienced profit-seeking companies immediately stripped the railways of thousands of experienced railwaymen, including drivers for whom the current acute shortage is being blamed for the hundreds of daily cancellations.
The Thatcherite policy of under-investment was continued by these newly-formed companies, thereby making renationalisation impossible.
I do have a degree of sympathy for the thousands of railwaymen investors who have seen their shares devalued but have they not been partially recompensed from the £700m dividends paid from taxpayers' money provided as subsidies to their company?
When buying these shares they were subject to the same warning as the poor Marconi shareholders, that share values fall as well as rise. That is the risk of shareholdings.
As for Kath's plea that someone, somewhere should now take over the railway system. Sorry my dear, as an experienced railwayman of 43 years, I too get my extra 25p per week on my pension very early next year and I don't have sufficient time left necessary to fulfil your request. Personally, I think the answer lies in investment, investment and more investment over many years, the reversal of the Beeching plan and the introduction of countrywide services akin to the Bury-Altrincham and Manchester Airport Metro Link which seems to be a huge success and which would also help to take the strain off our roads. Of course, all this will have to be paid for, mainly by taxation.
J Holding
Victoria Court
Stocks Park Drive
Horwich WITH reference to Kath Chapman's miserable train journey from Horwich to Manchester and back (Nov 28).
What she says is perfectly true and my many friends who also use this service confirm her views. Is it not true to say that these terrible conditions exist throughout the whole railway services?
She may well have asked who is to blame? Certainly not British Rail, Kath. The privatisation programme and the fragmentation into a 100 different companies, including Railtrack, is the main cause.
The sale of our railway system at knockdown prices in order to provide the Tory Government with immediate funds to fund the promised tax cuts prior to the 1997 election was disastrous.
For example, Railtrack, valued at £5 billion, was sold for £1.5 billion. In turn, the newly-formed non-experienced profit-seeking companies immediately stripped the railways of thousands of experienced railwaymen, including drivers for whom the current acute shortage is being blamed for the hundreds of daily cancellations.
The Thatcherite policy of under-investment was continued by these newly-formed companies, thereby making renationalisation impossible.
I do have a degree of sympathy for the thousands of railwaymen investors who have seen their shares devalued but have they not been partially recompensed from the £700m dividends paid from taxpayers' money provided as subsidies to their company?
When buying these shares they were subject to the same warning as the poor Marconi shareholders, that share values fall as well as rise. That is the risk of shareholdings.
As for Kath's plea that someone, somewhere should now take over the railway system. Sorry my dear, as an experienced railwayman of 43 years, I too get my extra 25p per week on my pension very early next year and I don't have sufficient time left necessary to fulfil your request. Personally, I think the answer lies in investment, investment and more investment over many years, the reversal of the Beeching plan and the introduction of countrywide services akin to the Bury-Altrincham and Manchester Airport Metro Link which seems to be a huge success and which would also help to take the strain off our roads.
Of course, all this will have to be paid for, mainly by taxation.
J Holding
Victoria Court
Stocks Park Drive
Horwich
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article