On the radio and in her column, Claire Perry, says that “turn up and travel” is responsible for overcrowding on trains. She wants us to book in advance.

My brother was a railwayman nearly all his working life. He warned that privatisation would be a disaster, mainly because of the sheer stupidity of splitting the track responsibility from the train operator. The overcrowding is because those same operators only lease the trains, most of which are owned by foreign banks or bankers and the fewer trains you have to pay for, the bigger the profit for shareholders. There is no competition between companies, the only alternative to the dreadful First Great Western I’ve seen go through Chippenham are cement wagons.

A few weekends ago, my daughter had a dreadful journey, having to stand from Stroud to Swindon and then from Swindon to Paddington. This was because First Great Western cancelled a train at peak time, she and everyone else had to squeeze onto another already full train an hour later. She has complained but has not yet had a reply. Angered by her experience, my daughter looked up Mrs Perry’s CV, discovering that she was a banker in America. How that qualifies someone to be put in charge of rail fares I do not know.

Politicians of all parties seem so out of touch with the lives of so-called ordinary people.

My brother recently had an accident. I had to go and see him immediately. I was told it would cost £280 for a return to Saltburn, only £142.20 if I travelled after 9.30am. I wonder if any of your readers has a crystal ball which I can borrow?

I would like to know at least four weeks beforehand so that I can get one of those cheaper advance tickets that Mrs Perry keeps banging on about.

Hazel Milburne, Abberd Way, Calne.