James Reay

Last updated 11:45, Thursday, 25 September 2008

It beggars belief that Shadow Transport Secretary Theresa Villiers and her party’s leader, David Cameron, have had the temerity to come up with plans for a radical shake-up of Britain’s rail industry.

It is sheer audacity for a political party which has reduced an efficient railway system into a chaotic shambles to state that the network needs upgrading to 21st century requirements.

During my working life on the railway I lost count of the number of redundancies suffered due to Conservative government rail policies and am saddened by the demise of the rail network.

The present railway workers do their best, but the complexity which results from having over 30 private companies running the show is ludicrous – and has been a disaster inflicted on the British travelling public.

British Rail operated 365 days a year. Passengers and goods were transported to all parts of Britain, and major engineering works finished on the scheduled time.

Despite that, the industry was still made the butt of comedians’ jokes who appeared in music halls and on the television.

However, eventually British Rail began to modernise: steam locos were withdrawn, the electrified West Coast Main Line was built, and telephone inquiry call centres established in most counties of Britain. These days anyone making rail inquires by telephone, are connected to a call centre in India.

Conservative governments have privatised Britain’s strategic industries.

The British electorate should have the common sense not to give the Conservative Party a second chance because I dread the despondency of the nation, if a future Tory government decides to fully privatise the NHS.

David Cameron would only get my vote if tiddlywinks and darts are included in the 2012 Olympics, and Mr Cameron swore an affidavit to renationalise the railways.