Railway lines
Sir: Mr Skelsey's letter (August 3) in response to my article on railway modernisation in fact raises more questions than it answers. Certainly, it prompts me to make some further Points. The main point in defence of my proposal for leasing regional networks far smaller than the existing BR Regions incidentally to concessionaires must be that such locally independent operation need not hamper the development of inter-regional services. It is a harsh fact that, since nationalisation, the number of inter-regional trains has declined sharply, while under private enterprise through operations by the trains of one company over the lines of another were commonplace.
Nor am I against having railwaymen running railways. I simply want to see railways run by those railwaymen farsighted and imaginitive enough to see the possibilities which are open, and to avoid the even greater number of pitfalls and blind alleys which face all business enterprises. I must strongly dispute the suggestion that those routes which have had two bites of the modernisation programme through dieselisation and then electrification be regarded as exceptions. If this is to be so, then most of the London Midland Region and part of the Eastern Region are exceptions, but how massive these exceptions are. Certainly there is merit in the suggestion that it is better to build wellproven designs under licence, than to risk untried designs from sometimes inexperienced engine builders. However, some of the original designs chosen by British Railways were based on European diesel electric powerplants. The problem in choosing either EuroPeen or American designs must be that it is usually difficult to put these into production without extensive modification to allow for the lower British loading gauge i.e. the height and width of train bodies as opposed to the track gauge.
I think that Mr Skelsey really wants railway operation taken out of politics, and an end to the continual reorganisation of the post-nationalisation period. The problem is, as always with such a plea, just when do we stop? Certainly much needs to be done to the railways in MY opinion before they are left alone, by Which time someone else will feel ready for a further reorganisation.
David W. 'vVragg
8Downview Close, Wood Road, Beacon Hill, Hindhead, Surrey
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