Slower trains and more expensive fares – what a way to run a railway
SIR – Virgin and Stagecoach bid for the East Coast rail franchise on the basis of Network Rail committing itself to critical infrastructure upgrades and with the requirement to use new Intercity Express trains, as specified by the Department of Transport.
Both of these programmes are running late, with no dates specified for some aspects. Additionally, it now seems that the diesel version of the new trains will be slower than the 40-year-old Intercity 125 trains they are to replace, and their journey times north of Edinburgh will be extended.
Thus, shouldn’t Lord Adonis and Tom Watson have been seeking resignations from individuals in these defaulting organisations who seemingly have caused the problem in the first place, not Chris Grayling, the Transport Secretary, who is faced with a commercial nightmare as a result? Ivor Kelly
Macclesfield, Cheshire
SIR – Lord Adonis has resigned from the National Infrastructure Commission. He did nothing to help us in the West Country as transport minister, and he continued that inertia at the Infrastructure Commission.
We struggle with a horrible ancient road and broken rail infrastructure, which holds back our progress and prevents business development.
It was about time Lord Adonis went. Now that he has, he is trying to create smokescreens complaining about things which were in his remit to change, though he didn’t. Antony B Clarke
South Petherton, Somerset
SIR – We need to accept that rail fares will increase annually (“Millions of delayed commuters return to rises in rail fares”, report, December 29).
Do all of those who use the trains (which in my experience as a regular traveller on Virgin West Coast, run a good service) work out just how much it would cost to drive to work?
The railway is the best option in terms of both cost and travel times. Nationalising them would not make it any better. In my opinion, it would go back to the old days of total chaos. Cynthia Atwell
Lichfield, Staffordshire
SIR – Bruce Williamson from the campaign group Railfuture said “very soon, trains without Wi-fi will become unthinkable” (report December 27).
The same report said that the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport was looking to see “how it can ‘dramatically’ improve internet and phone connectivity on Britain’s train network by 2025”. Now we know that “very soon” means seven years. Paul Streeter-jewitt
Bath, Somerset
SIR – I’m delighted to read that mobile phone signals will not be available in railway tunnels much before 2025, because this is the only respite I get from the inane twaddle I have to listen to from inconsiderate mobile phone users on any rail journey I undertake. Derek Alexander
St Leonards-on-sea, East Sussex