Supporters of the Campaign

Thanks to everyone who has returned postcards or sent messages in response to our 'Who Cares?' campaign.

Below are some of the people who have contacted us
(at cproctor@aslef.org.uk or by returning a postcard or other message to
9 Arkwright Road, London NW3 6AB)

FROM ASLEF

Neil Adams, SECC rep, says, 'Roads are too congested. Let's help them get the situation sorted - and get freight back on the rails!'
Geoff Akerman, train driver, First/TPE urges, 'Trucks off the road and onto the rail network!'
S.Allen, Abbots Langley

Duncan Bates, ASLEF
Frank Barrington, driver, Freightliner, who calls for 'more investment
in rail freight and less in road transport'
Nigel Benselin, functional rep
N.C.J. Bircham, driver, Central
N. Bishop, driver manager from Sheffield
Russ Bramhall, Branch Secretary, ASLEF Sheffield Midland 125
Michael Bradley, Ashford
Colin Brazier
M. Brooks, local rep
Nigel Brown, driver
D. Bull, Branch Secretary of Ramsgate asks, 'Have you ever sat in a queue of lorries and thought, 'Someone should do something about this?' Well, now you can - send a postcard!'
M. Butcher, women's committee says, 'Freight on Rail will reduce asthma.'
 
Pauline Calderwood, Leeds Branch Secretary, asks, 'Who cares? I care,
you care, we care!'
Kevin Campbell, driver South Eastern Trains
Dan Clarke, Transpennine Express
Paul Clayton, Virgin Trains
T.Cobb, driver on South West Trains
P.J. Coles from Northants
Andrew Cook. Driver, Southern Railway
G.Cooper, an ASLEF local rep wants, 'To help reduce pollution and traffic congestion.'
M Corper, driver DRS
Mr. S. Cracknell, an EWS train driver, says, 'It is now time to remove as many HGVs from the roads as possible due to environmental impact.'
D.Curtis, a driver from Folkestone
 
Nigel Daff. Wirral
D.Dobson, Vice Chair of Leeds branch who says, 'Diverting freight away
from rail is not a sustainable option. The economic, environmental and
human arguments are overwhelming.'
 
Barry Edwards sent us these thoughtful comments: 'I think most of us
agree with the sentiment of getting freight back on rail. However the
Rail Industry has I believe recently shot itself in the foot.
'Recently DRS has trialled class 87s (electric locos) on freight trains.
They requested extra paths to run more freight services, apparently
these were granted with the proviso that the extra trains were
electrically hauled. This trial has been scuppered by the fact that
Network Rail has increased the pathing charge by 40% for electric
services.
'Bearing in mind the organisation(s) that negotiated these extra paths
are to all intents and purposes Government bodies, it makes me wonder if
they are really as keen as they say about 'green' transport issues. Okay
it can be argued that electric trains merely transfer potential
pollution to power stations, but at least it's a start. It seems to me
this is yet another example of today's railway is incapable of joined-up
thinking.
I cannot see how financially discouraging the use of electric traction
can promote the environmental benefits of freight on rail;
unsurprisingly these days, someone in authority hasn't thought this
through.'

S. Favell, WAGN driver

Mr. R.S.Gummer, train driver, SE Trains
Malcolm Gurr, a Southern driver points out, 'We have an excellent rail infrastructure - so let's get freight back on it, and off the roads.'

D.M Harrison from Nottingham says, 'Put freight onto the rails'
Steve Harvey, Tubelines
Mr S.W. Hewitt who works out of Orpington depot calls for, 'Less pollution on our roads.'
R.Hill. driver, Central Trains, Derby
Giles Hinton, St Blazey Branch Secretary
John Hopwood, ASLEF Potters Bar
S.F.House, driver Wessex trains, Penzance
Richard Hughes-Jones, train driver, Arriva
Wendy Hurst, a WAGN train driver is poetic about the campaign: 'For our children's welfare, we must preserve the Air!'
A. Hutley, driver

Nick James, a driver at EWS
Clive Jones, Secretary of the EWS council warns, 'This has to be only the start of what could be a long campaign.'

Zoi Kakouris, Chair SECC, Brighton
R.Kilkie, driver, Ashford

Sarah Lamond says, 'Get freight off the roads and onto the railways - it makes sense!'
Gary Lears, ASLEF union rep
A.P. Levers, EWS driver
Tony Limerick, ETO Tubelines
A.Y. Lintott. Rickmansworth
R. Lymn from Nottingham says, 'The sooner the better!'

Les Muir, branch secretary at King's Cross, says, 'I care for my children, I care for my grandchildren and I care for the World we share.'

R.C. Pain, Train Driver, EWS
Rob Phillips, Lampeter
A. Puncheon, ETC Transplant

P. McLeod from Derby puts the case in a nutshell: 'Off the roads and back on the track!'
Brian McGowan, driver, SE Trains
Mark McHenry, SE Trains

Mark Nash, a train driver from Biggin Hill, says, 'I care because we owe our children a cleaner future environment.'
P. Nolan, driver, insists, 'Freight on rail not only makes environmental sense, it eases congestion too.'

Kevin Olbridge, driver, EWS

David Pond. EWS driver, Cornwall
Gary Potter, driver, Central Trains

Derek Quantnell. Tubeline

Andy Reed, National Organiser
Jamie Rundle, train driver
Steve Ryan, train driver, Sheffield

Rosemary Scott, driver, Norwich
Nicholas J. Smith from Leicestershire says, 'Everybody is being poisoned by fumes from lorries. It's time to move all long-distance freight on electrified railways.'
Carl Southwood from Leicestershire, who says action on this issue is 'long overdue'
C. Stancliffe, a driver and ASLEF member urges, 'Clear the Roads - Back to Rail NOW.'

M. Taylor, driver, Kent
Steve Taylor, Engineering Train Operator
Mr. M. Trundle, train driver, Herts.

E.Waite. ETO Tube Lines
Miss T. Whitbread, driver EWS
K.Witts, driver, Nottingham

FROM OTHER UNIONS

Anna McKeown, Chair, Association of Professional Tourist Guides
Steve Boyce of Leicester National Union of Teachers
Stephen Capewell, TSSA, is adamant that, 'We all should support the campaign as it would increase safety, protect the environment and be economic.'
John Coote, Negotiations Officer, PCS
Michele Emerson, CWU Equalities Officer, insists, 'The car/road transport lobby has gone too far. Its motivation is profit, with no thought for the human cost or damage to the planet.'
Miss P. Goodman, conductor, RMT
Miss J. Greenall. Unison rep, Cheshire
G. Haywood, conductor, RMT
Tom Hedley of the Community Union expressed the message in metre, offering us,
'It don't take brains
To know that trains
Bear the loads
Better than roads!'
Sharon Hinchliffe, Unison
Max Hyde, NUT Executive says, 'Support this campaign, for the sake of all our children.
Gary Jones. CWU Executive Committee, urges us to, 'Take freight to rail for all our common good.'
Lesley Mansell, TUC and Amicus CGBT, wants us to 'Look after the environment and put freight back on the rail.'
Caroline Molly, researcher at the TGWU
Maureen Peacock, credit controller, wool merchants
Mrs A.M Reynolds of the CWU says, 'Travelling Post Offices sorted mail before they arrived at their destination. By road, the mail is just 'bagged'. Return to rail!'
Alastair Rowe, Leading Conductor, Wessex Trains
S. J. Ryder of the CWU South West Branch
Darren Taylor, RMT, Virgin
Andrew Wheatley of Blackpool Trades Council says, 'Personally I would like to see all aspects of the rail industry brought back under public ownership.'
Paul Swarbrooke, an RMT member from Nottingham
Heather Varley, nursery nurse and Unison steward
A. Wilkinson, Community

FROM OTHER ORGANISATIONS

Rail Future, Independent organisation campaigning for better rail services for both passengers and freight

Suzanne Anderson
Shawn Beaden, student, Sheffield
Norman Bradbury, Rail Future
Reg Copley of the Southend Labour Party Local Government Committee
J. Faherty
Jenny Fielder warns, 'Global warming and pollution requires urgent action on freight transport.'
Dr Hywel Francis, Labour MP for Aberavon, says, 'I fully support the ASLEF 'Who Cares?' campaign to ensure more Freight on Rail for reasons of the environment and of safety.'
Alec Harris urges us to, 'Get juggernauts off the roads!'
Sally Anne Hill, a civil servant, reminds us, 'Using waterways, too, makes ecological and economic sense.'
Claire Hinton, psychologist
Victoria Holloway
R. Mitchell. Tutor, TUC/WEA says, 'I welcome any initiative which makes the air more breathable and the roads cleaner. I hope ASLEF will make common cause with inland water ways.'
Dr M.A. Perkins, academic
Rossalyn Pugh says we should, 'Keep the freight on our railways and off our roads!'
Miss A.J. Rance, Cornwall
Rachel Ryan, guard, Sheffield
Sylvia Scokias, secretary, Chalkwell Ward Labour Party
Sue Talbot, a concerned parent from Suffolk, says, 'Keep freight off our roads'
Mr G. Turington, Beckford
D.J. Young, Bodmin and Wenford Railway, Cornwall
Tracy Ward, housewife
Mark Wardrop
Julian Ware-Lane, the treasurer of Southend West Labour Party
Peter White, Campaigns Officer, Ilford North Young Labour
K. Williams from south-west London, is not connected to any organisation, but says, 'Making the UK pollutant-free is 'a must'. Three of my children suffer from asthma.'

FROM RETIRED PEOPLE

G.W.Allen of Camarthenshire argues that, 'The future economic well being of Britain depends on 'Freight on Rail' happening now!
Dorothy Arthur, pensioner, Rotherham
William Bennet, ex-GNER driver, Enfield
George Case, Potters Bar
R.G. Cooper, south west Thames
Ted Driscoll. National Pensioners Convention, Blackheath
Dot Gibson, London secretary of the National Pensioners Convention
Georgina Lawson, a retired CWU member, says, 'I support strongly the permanent return of TPOs.'
E.J.Lowman, a retired CWU member from New Malden urges, 'Take heavy goods traffic off roads and onto rail.'
Joy Moss, Greater London National Pensioners Convention
Mrs Pat Prendergast, London Irish Elders Forum
P. Shukla, Treasurer Greater London National Pensioners Convention
Peter Smith, Over-50s Forum
Sara Spain, London NPC

FROM BUSINESS

Su Huntley, partner, Huntley Muir says, 'Wise up - use current resources - help the environment - relieve the motorways'
Donna Muir, partner, Huntley Muir says there is, 'No contest! It makes so much sense we have to go for it!'
Martyn Pellew, PD Ports plc says, 'The UK government needs to use every
opportunity to promote energy efficient alternatives to road transport.'
Mrs J. Smith, Network Education