I am completely dissatisfied with the Sunday rail service from London Victoria back to Brighton.

Three weekends out of four, I have to collect my seven-year-old son from Victoria after he has visited his father for the weekend. Prior to every journey, I am careful to check with rail inquiries about train times and engineering works.

Yet there have been many occasions over the past few months when I have been given completely invalid information.

The consequences have been delays to departures because of prolonged engineering works, trains stopping at Three Bridges with a substitute bus service and trains being rerouted around the South Coast through Littlehampton, stopping at every small station before Brighton.

An overlong journey with an over-tired child may be tolerable if the trains were clean, comfortable and well staffed. But they are not.

Even the toilets are unfit for use during the evenings. Are these trains ever cleaned?

There have been several occasions when people have entered the carriages and behaved in a drunken and out-of-control fashion.

It is fortunate nothing has yet escalated to a dangerous level because there never seem to be any rail personnel in sight.

This has left me concerned for the safety and welfare of my own child and people travelling with us in the carriage.

It is a shame the rigour with which the rail staff pursue passengers for their fares is not matched by an equally rigorous approach to safety, comfort, cleanliness and good timekeeping.

-Name and address supplied