"BETTER late than never" was my response to the news that the Government was to take the functions of Railtrack back into public control.

But why stop there?

The entire rail privatisation exercise has been a disaster, its cost counted in cash, customer frustration and, tragically, lives.

They should take back the operating companies too, and give us back a nationally based, publicly owned rail service, run to meet the needs of the customers, and not to maximise the profits of big business fat cats.

Roger Bannister

UNISON National Executive

Council (Personal Capacity)

Kirkby