John Stanaway should get his facts right (Letters, April 27).
While I agree with the sentiments expressed in his letter regarding the railway network infrastructure, he could have done his homework regarding the time it can take by rail between Ashford International and Southampton Central via Brighton.
Far from being a timetabled six hours, using this route on a weekday it is possible to leave Ashford at 08.24 and arrive at Southampton at 12.51, a total of four hours, 27 minutes later.
Alternatively, one could catch a service via Waterloo at 08.30 and change onto a direct train which arrives at Southampton at 11.40, only three hours, ten minutes later.
As for the journey time being the same now as in years gone by, I recall the premier Brighton Belle service rattled its way from Brighton to Victoria non-stop in one hour, leaving, for example, at 13.25 and arriving at 14.25.
Today, a typical off-peak service achieves this in 52 minutes - not bad when one considers there are more trains running now (carrying more people) than when the Belle was discontinued in April 1972.
Despite my criticisms, John should keep up the good work in his campaign for better infrastructure to compete with the incessant rise in road traffic.
-Phil Hamerton, Shoreham
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