I WAS astonished to read Dr Leo Enticknap's letter praising Virgin trains (July 30).

During the past 12 years we have been frequently using the Virgin York- Birmingham-Bristol service and very few of our journeys have been completely satisfactory.

We have suffered any combination of the following: unpunctuality (hours at times); engine breakdown; reservations not there; serious overcrowding; cancellations at the drop of a hat; buffet service not functioning (even padlocked) because of equipment failure; no relief crew etc and inadequate luggage space making the buffet and/or tables almost inaccessible.

Things could only get better with the advent of the swish new trains.

Sadly, four of our recent six journeys have, with variations, been as bad as ever.

The small Newcastle-Bournemouth train last week could not cope with the number of passengers - no reservations, a blind person unable to find his seat and a serious crisis in Birmingham when wheelchair space had to be found for a severely disabled passenger.

The return journey from Winchester- York was little better with no reservations and various other problems along the way. Worst of all, two of the five standard class toilets were out of order.

What a way to run a railway.

Thank heaven for GNER, I only wish we could travel with them more often.

Dorothy Greenwell,

Redman Close,

York.

Updated: 10:13 Monday, August 04, 2003