6 I AM sure that some of your readers will be surprised at Mark Simpson's comments about the rail network, especially when it was a Tory Government that privatised the industry.

As a lifelong Conservative voter, I would say that I am far from happy about the situation, although having worked for one of the Train Operating Companies, (GNER Ltd), there have been great improvements to the service provided by them.

Unfortunately, however, the major problems seem to stem from Railtrack, despite the fact that the Government did, in fact, retain a shareholding in this company.

The Labour government has now been in power for nearly four years, and what have they, as shareholders in the company, done? Nothing.

May I remind readers of two statements made by Tony Blair, before coming to power.

1. At the 1995 Labour Party conference: "There will be a publicly-owned and publicly-accountable railway system under a Labour Government. We can then save hundreds of millions... to upgrade the service and modernise lines."

2. At the 1996 Labour Party conference: "We will give Britain a modern, integrated transport network... restoring a unified system of railways with a publicly-owned, publicly-accountable British Rail at its core. Good for us, and good for business."

More broken promises from a government that has always been full of spin, and empty of action.

N D ADDISON,

Wolverley, Kidderminster.