SIR – Your item about the new Parkway Station (Parkway should be the start of a rational local railway policy, Fair Point, February 5) raised some crucial issues.

Delays to trains can be caused by faults but the system for reporting and dealing with these is out of date.

To report a fault the member of train crew fills in a page in a Defect Book, one page is faxed to the depot to report the repair.

At a time when communication is readily available the train driver cannot speak directly to the depot which will investigate and repair the train.

As to signalling you will know that semaphore signalling is still in use in the Worcester area.

When I started work at Worcester in 2001 I was told the plans were ready for modern colour light signals to be installed. Still waiting.

You also refer to shortage of train crews. The franchise holder trains staff.

If you have a seven-year franchise there is little incentive to invest thousands of pounds training a driver, which will take about one year, if you can avoid doing so.

The fault lies with the privatised franchise system of what should a publicly owned and run service.

The railway needs a “rational local railway policy” as you say and I would add a rational railway policy on a national basis.

The problem is you cannot plan what you do not own.

Pete McNally Former train driver and chairman of

Worcester ASLEF

Welland