Whatever happened to the age of the train?

It appears we now have a choice when travelling of either risking overcrowded, polluted roads or taking to the train, where tickets are overpriced, the service is hopelessly fragmented and there are almost guaranteed delays.

It is hardly surprising that passengers are beginning to revolt.

In the wake of the Southall, Paddington and Hatfield tragedies, safety has become uppermost in the minds of passengers.

The 94,000 letters received by First Great Western were almost certainly swelled by concerns over signal safety, broken lines and driver training in the wake of the accidents.

But the majority of them are likely to be from normal people simply worn down by the daily routine of cancellations, late trains and poor service.

First Great Western must take note of the groundswell of ill-feeling from those who use its trains. We have no doubt it is striving to improve and many problems can justifiably blamed on poor railway infrastructure out of its control.

But it is time to stop the talking. We deserve a better, safer railway and it is up to rail companies like First Great Western to deliver.