I SPENT most of my working life with British Railways and had to listen to the media in general making jibes, taunts and criticism of the railway industry.

The industry moved troops, war and food materials throughout the war years. My father, also a railwayman, spoke of keeping railway traffic moving on Hull docks throughout a heavy air attack. The industry was in a poor shape at the end of the war and was nationalised.

What followed was a succession of governments allowing just enough cash to keep things going but no investment for the future. Transport ministers thought only of motorways and closing rail networks (remember Beeching.)

Privatisation was the answer said Thatcher/Major. Valuable rail assets were sold cheaply, 25 rail companies formed. We are now seeing the result.

Punctuality is more important with safety going out of the window.

Chief executives are appointed for their ability to make profit despite their total lack of knowledge of railway operations.

York being a railway centre must have many retired railwaymen looking on in disbelief.

T Larkman,

Stockton Lane, York.

...MY father worked for British Rail for over 45 years. He believed that a country's rail system should be run as an efficient 'service' for its people - neither making vast losses or huge profits.

He would never have understood privatising BR and selling off 'bits' of the network to various foreigners and millionaire megalomaniacs.

The more 'bits' you have the weaker the system will become.

Pamela Egan,

North Lane,

Malton Road,

York.

...OVER the past two years there have been four serious rail accidents in the United Kingdom.

Over the same period there has not been a single fatal accident to a commercial aircraft; in fact in the recent past there have been only two, the Boeing at Kegworth and the Banderaintie at Leeds.

In view of this railway 'spokesmen' cannot go on claiming that rail is the safest form of travel.

Mike Usherwood,

Mendip Close,

Huntington, York.

...THE train accidents at Harrow (1952) and Lewisham (1957) were each caused by the driver running past a signal at danger, and not as your columnist Bryan Marlow writes (October 17) by neglected track maintenance.

Roderick Neal,

High Petergate.

York.