A backwards step

I recently travelled to the newly revamped London Waterloo station, and was disappointed with the recent work. For £600 million, I would have expected much better.

When you stand at Platform 1, you will see that there is still 1940/1950s bullhead rail fastened to old wooden sleepers for at least 50% of the platform.

Also, the old platform has just been extended for another two coaches. But I notice that the old International platforms have been reduced from 18 to ten coaches, which is a backwards step.

Fifty years ago, when I travelled to school by train, I regularly saw 12-car fast trains from Portsmouth to Waterloo and back. Therefore, the DfT now expects an increasing number of passengers to squeeze into smaller ten-car trains.

In addition, the train service from Stoneleigh to Waterloo is now seven minutes slower than it used to be 50 years ago.

Just imagine if Southern Railways had not been nationalised in 1946-47: we would have had continuous investment in electric third rail and a service many times superior than today. However, we are where we are.

In RAIL 843, a feature described the importance being attached by South Western Railway to clean train interiors. This bears no resemblance to my recent travels.

Firstly, the door opening buttons did not work on two doors when turning yellow. Secondly, the interior looked as if it had never been touched since South West Trains finished. Thirdly, the trains are regularly running seven to 15 minutes late. Jim Whiteley, Epsom