Sal,--No single institution betterillustrates the widen- ing gulf between continental
and British standards than the railways. Cyril Ray is right; the Continental Traffic Manager (Eastern Region) is shuffling miser- ably. I travelled to and from Harrogate recently in The Yorkshire Pullman,' made up of brand new 'luxury' cars. No air-conditioning. No effective sound-proofing. No hot water in the washrooms. No accurate timekeeping. No average speed above forty- five miles an hour (The Mistral—eighty-three miles an hour). Less leg room and window-space than in the old cars. Food-stains all over the carpets. Kitchen and bar refuse in the vestibules. Frayed cuffs on the stewards' jackets. I'd rather not talk about the food. , Some questions. Why aren't all the new Pullmans (and other stock on crack expresses) air-conditioned? VhY do British Railways think that sixty miles an !i°11r average speed is good, when the French think it 1.8 rock-bottom? Who is the man responsible for see- ing that an express train, before it starts, has clean washrooms, hot water, clean carpets and upholstery. yindows that work, and stewards with unfrayed Jackets? Who gets a rocket when a crack express (at ..,1nrtY1jve Miles an hour) is twenty minutes late?- – r ours faithfully,
• CORRELL] BARNETT •
at bridge House, East Carleton, Norwich
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