THE privatised train companies received almost one million complaints last year.

Rail privatisation has hardly been the success story predicted by the previous Tory administration.

Virgin West Coast emerged as the most criticised company in the rail regulator's report, but it has to be said that the company inherited one of the worst stretches of main line track in Britain.

For years it was shamefully neglected while the nationalised company spent millions in the East and South.

And can we look back to the nationalised railways and yearn for the "good old days?" Of course we cannot. British Rail was a favourite subject for every comedian in the land.

We had been led to expect more from privatisation.

But these are early days. The jury is still out on privatised railways.

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