I WOULD like to respond to R Whiting's letter ('We're not all on-line', August 12). Firstly, GNER no longer receives a Government subsidy and has not done so since April 2001.

Secondly, our new and popular £20 Internet fare is designed to test the potential of this relatively new retailing outlet. Clearly some people do not own computers, but Internet access is widely available through Internet cafs and public libraries.

We have been working hard to make ticket purchase even easier and more accessible to more people and there are a host of other excellent value fares available through GNER telesales, self-service fast ticket machines at stations and travel centres.

These include a £30 Bargain return between York and London and a First Class Off-Peak fare at £59 return.

In the recent past we have also made widely available hundreds of thousands of promotional fares as low as £5 single anywhere on the GNER route, many of which have been enjoyed by the citizens of York.

I thank R Whiting for his kind comments about GNER's "excellent and helpful staff."

Alan Hyde,

Corporate Affairs Manager,

GNER,

Station Road,

York.

...I AM writing in support of R Whiting's comments on GNER's £20 tickets (August 12).

Residents may also be unaware that GNER £24 Daypex tickets are now only available at weekends, the so-called 'bargain' £30 from late morning and the last train from London now leaves at 10pm rather than 11.25pm.

However I note a weekday day return from Leeds to London is £25 and there is still a late-night train - perhaps GNER would care to comment?

J M Hughes,

Blakeney Place, York.

Updated: 10:24 Thursday, August 15, 2002