[Belmont Road]

Just a footnote here. I am glad Ted did raise a few issues around the collapse of freight after the strike.

It was an unintended consequence but it was a fact and I saw a very interesting interview on TV a few years ago with an ex Union Boss who sort of admitted that it was an own goal as it cost many of his members their jobs.

After that, apart from minerals and bulk traffic, freight declined rapidly. True it was more than just the strike but private industry lost confidence in the industry then, as is still the case in France where rail strikes still happen fairly frequently.

I have mixed feelings about privatisation but for freight it has been a huge success and long may that continue.