NETWORK Rail, the Government's replacement for Railtrack, has failed to improve the situation on the railways - and the railway operating companies' answer to poor performance is, apparently, to cut services.

This will directly affect passengers in Lancaster and Morecambe, as fewer services call at Lancaster. Meanwhile, bus fares continue to rise with no improvement in service and reliability.

This is bad news for the substantial minority of people who do not have cars and bad news for the environment as we fail to tackle the pollution and global warming caused by fossil fuel abuse.

Lancaster and Morecambe Trades Union Council believes that it is time to reiterate its principles and policies regarding the railways and public transport for the sake of both the people who work on them and the people who use them.

First, it is clear that the railways should be taken back into public ownership within a safe, affordable, comfortable, clean and reliable public transport system locally and nationally.

Second, the system must be accountable to the people who use it and to the workers who run it and must embrace the notion of corporate responsibility.

And third, the public transport system including buses, trains and taxis must be accessible to everyone including disabled people, the elderly and people with children.

All this represents a real challenge for the future - a challenge which has so far proved beyond the capabilities of successive Labour governments and those in Europe and the United States.

The Lancaster and Morecambe Trades Union Council wants the North West TUC and Lancashire TUC to join in putting pressure on local councils and any future regional government in the north west to support these principles.

Brian Penney (Press Officer, Lancaster & Morecambe TUC)