Letters Readers air their views about the railway industry and Rail Professional Trainofthought


Please email your letters to: letters@railpro.co.uk or fax to: 01223 327356. Or post to The Editor, Rail Professional, 275 Newmarket Road, Cambridge CB5 8JE. Letters may be edited for length.


Telling words from the PM


It is encouraging to read on page 21 of the August issue (Kickstarting McNulty) that the prime minister admits to the Institute of Civil Engineers that our railway fares are 30 per cent higher than European average, running costs 40 per cent higher and state subsidy 100 per cent higher.


It was his party that introduced this system – which is unique in Europe! The other countries have all seen that what we do does not work and have not gone down this route. However, there is no solution offered other than to squeeze the industry and carry on as we are. Also in Rail Professional, you report our frustration here in Scotland that we have a devolved responsibility for transport – and yet must toe the line with a franchise system dictated by Westminster. The Scotrail franchise ends in 2014 – which is when we vote for independence – with a bit of luck we may even be able to change the system and run an integrated railway. Ron Smith Keith


Who will make the case for better connectivity? I’m reading your article about mobile phone reception on trains (July 2012 issue). I found it, because I was optimistically trying to make some calls on my journey this morning, and they’ve been frequently interrupted by reception breaks (as usual). So I find the lack of digital repeaters on trains and in tunnels very frustrating. Ofcom/Mott Macdonald have reported on the technical issues earlier this year, but the


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question is surely one of cost- benefit. Hakan’s article issued a call for action: so who will be making the business case and taking action?


I would have thought the main benefit is for train operators, who would attract more customers: knowing that a reliable signal was available on all trains would encourage people to buy more tickets. Patrick PK Carnie


SNP backing roads over rail


In marked contrast to announcements from Westminster, the Scottish government has announced the virtual scrapping of its flagship rail project, the Edinburgh to Glasgow Improvement Programme (EGIP). The SNP government attempted to promote this as a good news story, however, it soon emerged that the vast bulk of this imaginative project will not now happen. EGIP would have brought electrification across the Central Belt leading to accelerated journeys, a more robust timetable, opportunities for new stations and services and all the wider benefits of electrification. What now remains is simple electrification of the core Glasgow to Edinburgh via Falkirk High – and very little else.


All the more worrying is that the announcement took both Network Rail and ScotRail by surprise, Network Rail having spent large amounts on consultation and preparatory work. This comes on top of earlier cancellations of both the Edinburgh and Glasgow Airport Rail Links. In the early days of


devolution, Scotland rightly enjoyed a reputation for its pro-rail policies with line


and station re-openings all performing well ahead of projected figures. The SNP has retreated from this and raided the rail budget to fund its massive road building programme. This smacks of 1960s solutions to 21st century transport problems. Paul Tetlaw Transform Scotland


A little flexibility required I have been looking into whether means can be found to help tourists from abroad who arrive by Eurostar on Advance tickets, such as my first class one at €99 from Neustrelitz to London via Berlin, Cologne, Brussels, a suitable Advance ticket ticket to a destination in the UK. Both can be purchased on the DB website and then the site of the UK OC. However, currently there is no means whereby the traveller is allowed officially to travel on a later train if European connections arrive late. There is an official connection time of 25 mins between St Pancras International and Euston which I use where through journey times are available on the DB website. But Atoc is unwilling to do much, and in fact states that there are no CIV tickets available inbound, which is rubbish, as I found out when enquiring at Chester last Monday! There is a £37.10 ticket in standard class


available if I scan my DB ticket to London, then my son takes it to Chester, and sends me the London to Chester ticket by post!


There is a high risk of post going astray from the UK, as I have experienced quite often, so that is no solution. Again, there is no possibility to purchase a First Class CIV Advance by these means. A solution I proposed and discussed with an ‘old’ railway manager on the way to London last Sunday is a simple letter from Atoc suggesting that the UK companies advise their staff to accept Advance tickets on a later train if Eurostar is late, rather than leaving the decision to the train manager – some will accept and others will not.


That is no way to run a


business, and puts off people I know who would come over from Germany to the UK and I am led to believe that some Tocs would not be averse to changes which would facilitate this. James T Inglis Germany


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