Thank you Phil Hamerton, you are right, I must check my facts otherwise I will become as distrusted as transport politicians (Letters, May 10).

Taking Phil Hamerton's journey time from Ashford International Eurostar interchange via Brighton terminus station, walking across eight platforms on to a West Coast train to Southampton Central, it takes four hours 27 minutes on a good day to cover 100 miles. So the average journey speed is approximately 22mph.

Possibly the slowest mainline railway service in the world?

The alternative is overloaded Victorian branch lines to congested London terminus stations.

Today's skeleton Southern rail network, with no freight being transported by rail between ports and resorts indicates transport and rail authorities have put the cart before the horse by spending billions on new trains, extra power supply, depots and tarting up stations, before providing an adequate expanded rail network.

Surely all the South Coast quangos, and integrated transport planning authorities realise covering southern England in tarmac and ignoring the railway transport policy is going to lead to total transportation gridlock?

-John Stanaway, Member SE Region Rail Development Society