I HAVE read your article in the latest issue of the Chronicle and would like to make the following comments on the criticism of Greater Anglia and, indeed, the other railway companies.
Firstly, it seems that many of the present complainants never had the 'pleasure' of commuting with British Rail.
If they had, they might have realised that the current services are not quite as bad as they seem. I also notice the remark made on your front page by one critic that there has been no weekend service for six months, something which I have experienced in my attempts to reach London on a Saturday.
However, my point is that this cessation of service is surely not the responsibility of Greater Anglia but of Network Rail, which maintains the tracks and the stations. It is pertinent to note that Network Rail is a nationalised company and, if my informants are correct, is staffed very largely by ex-BR staff.
A friend of mine has had the misfortune to deal with Network Rail on a commercial basis and it seems clear that very little has improved in that organisation since it was transformed from BR. Therefore, to be fair, I think the critics of Greater Anglia should be a little more balanced in apportioning blame which, it seems to me, should fall at the very least on Network Rail by 50 per cent or more.
Incidentally, the railways both before and during BR's tenure very rarely suspended services at any time for maintenance but managed to carry out the work while the trains were still running.
The only other point I should make is that one of the reasons that the C2C service is said to be much better is because there are very few junctions on the line between the Essex coast and London, unlike the route from Norwich to Liverpool Street, and it is therefore a less complicated service to run.
Colin Peerless
By e-mail
YOUR reports of the dissatisfaction expressed by users of our bus and train services reminded me of the article by Simon Burns written when his party were in opposition.
He complained then that rail fares and overcrowding were increasing. They still are. What has he done to deal with these problems? Nothing; only made promises of "jam tomorrow".
He also said that where problems arose a Tory government would "bang heads together to ensure that performance is improved". From the complaints you have published it is clear First Bus Company heads (and some at the county council) need to be banged together. Has Mr Burns done this and, if not, why not?
The privatisation of train and bus services was supposed to provide better, cheaper services. So far as rail is concerned, experts say that the government now spends more "in real terms" than in British Rail days. Why?
Peter Egan
Little Nell
Chelmsford
