Reader Comments:

Views expressed in submitted comments are that of the author, and not necessarily shared by Railnews.

• miles pomfrett, Fleet, Hants

  I am amazed at Brian's comments. On my visits to the USA there is much concern about crumbling road bridges and massive traffic jams. Indeed, my last journey though New Jersey was disrupted by chunks of concrete falling onto cars: As for railways... what railways? The USA has not even started to address public transport.

• Andy Thomson, Abingdon, England

  I am now in my late 50’s and have lived in England and Australia. I left England when I was fifteen and returned here when I reached 30. It’s important to live abroad. You can see your own country anew. I remember as a child witnessing the final years of the steam train era and although unfashionable I hold a secret fondness for all steam trains. The crumbling old stations I often see today are evocative of an age when Britain had a wonderful railway. There are many like me who hold great fondness for that golden era of the steam train. I like most have a cynical opinion of Politicians collectively, but there are some diamonds among them that really do want to improve Britain. All those who govern us must take time to understand the threat posed to the British economy and our commitment to tackling climate change. Environmentally trains make sense. By failing to act on sufficient investment in the rail infrastructure we will miss an opportunity to meet our climate change commitments and it will come back to haunt us. If we are to avoid collective regret we must seize the moment and provide a renewed rail network but a diversified network. Yes, electric trains but also diesel and yes steam. We could also build Maglev trains. It’s important not to put all your eggs in one basket. If the carnage caused by that vandal Dr Beeching, who decimated sustainable communities, is reversed and rail track is once more re-laid then my gut instinct tells me politicians will be onto a vote winner. People want an alternative to the car and the lorry and the congestion and pollution and noise that degrades peoples lives. People, especially the majority who live outside of London want some lifeblood back into communities dying on their feet. It is just insanity not to revive redundant track and to invest in new track that will meet the needs of the next century. Huge amounts of freight used to be transported by rail. With a renewed network there is potential to remove hundreds of heavy Lorries from our roads and reduce pollution. That is not the only benefit. When will the politicians understand the social implications of what was lost when Beeching’s axe fell. The work would employ thousands of British workers. To paraphrase that memorable statement “I have a dream. I have a dream for a new Renaissance for the British rail network. This economic downturn is the perfect opportunity to achieve this and build something that Britain can be proud of.

• J Arthur Rank, Auchtermuchty, Scotland

  We need supersonic maglev trains running in vacuum tubes - speeds in excess of 3,000mph are entirely possibly, in fact the main limiting factor is human comfort on accelerating/braking.

• Anoop, London

  In response to Hugh Gillies-Smith:
  
  I agree with you entirely. If you need to build a new railway as well as upgrading the existing one, it makes sense to build the new one first. Unfortunately we have done things the wrong way round, resulting in years of West Coast chaos.
  
  Re: routes into London
  The GWR branch of the GCR/GWR joint line could provide an easy route into London for trains which are not stopping at Heathrow. It is a straight line from Ruislip to Old Oak Common, currently used by only a handful of trains per day. Improved connections would need to be built at the London end to Paddington or Euston.

• Jake Hyslop, Birmingham, UK

  RE: Brian Eastwood
  
  The USA's attitude towards Public Transport (End of Argument)
  
  I rest my case.
  
  

• Hugh Gillies-Smith, Tarporley

  The case for electrifying the Midland Mail Line is so unbelieveably obvious that one must really question why it hasn't been done before now. The 'difficult bit' i.e at the London end, is as we all know, already in place. If you witnessed as I did the speed with which the line between Crewe and Kidsgrove was electrified it's clear electrification may no longer be such an onerous project. I think if one lesson that needs to be learned from the West Coast upgrade, is that you require available alternative routes to avoid the high costs and disruption to not only the TOC's and Freight Companies but also to the travelling public with the provision of rail replacement coach services when either work is being carried out on the infrastructure or something goes wrong. Extended to Leeds this would provide one such alternative route. On that point, a logical step would be to re-open the line between Market Harborough and Northampton as an alternative at the south end.
  
  As for HS2 well the back bone of the route already exists, namely the former Great Central engineered with high speed in mind and to the continental gauge. Agreed the London end would need something better than using the old Metropolitan route or the Great Western cut off. Perhaps, rather worryingly for those nimby's amongst us, if the 'powers that be' care to examine the Parliamentary authority for the construction of the London Extension of the former Great Central Railway they may find there is nothing to stop them starting to relay the track tomorrow, in a manner of speaking. Take this course and you are a lot closer to achieving the objective and undoubtably a lot less costly than a completley new route with all the problems that raises.

• MikeC, Nottingham, England

  Oh come on Brian! It's the first time *any* government has said anything like this for *years* - and there's a cross-party consensus developing on rail which has virtually never existed before. Yes, it has taken and will take far too long - but this time I'm convinced it *will* happen.
  
  As for "Deplorable, contemptible Little Britain." this is just gratuitous abuse, especially from someone living in a country where a man has to choose which of his severed fingers to have reattached because he couldn't afford both and couldn't afford medical insurance (recent story).

• Brian Eastwood, richmond VA, USA

  Hoon's statement today is just spin. No decision has been made to electrify either the Great Western or the Midland mainlines. British Rail had plans drawn up in the mid 1970s to electrify most of the railway network and yet, here we are 30 years later and still waiting. Deplorable, contemptible Little Britain.