If they’re re-nationalised, Britain’s railways could hit the buffers . . . again!
ON THE Labour Party’s proposed re-nationalisation of the railways, can I say: ‘Been there, done it and don’t do it again!’ I worked for British Railways in the steam era, starting in 1962 at Canton steam shed in Cardiff. I worked my way up the ladder from cleaning the mighty, powerful ‘King’ class express passenger locomotives to the more mundane tank locos at Canton sheds. Later, I was a fireman at East Dock shed in Cardiff’s Docklands, and out on the main line to Hereford, Gloucester, Bristol, Swansea and other local firing trips on ‘Hall’ class and other tender steam engines. I saw a lot of wasted resources in my job as a fireman, and I can remember two new railway bridges being shut after taking years to build them. One was at Rotherwas/Barton on the Hereford branch line which took years to construct — only for it to be ‘dis-used’ once it had finally been erected. And when they finished it, they shut the line! The same thing happened at Pontrilas Quarry branch line. A new bridge was constructed over the roadway, only for the railway line to close. There used to be a joke at the time. If they painted anything, you could bet it would then be pulled down. Painted one day, demolished the next. A new railway station opened with great fanfare at Cardiff Docks, only for the railway to be shut just after its completion. Imagine the waste if this sort of thing was going on all over the British rail system.
GRAHAM WILLIAMS, canton, cardiff.