I recently caught a train from Harrow and Wealdstone to Euston so I could catch another train and travel to Manchester for business.

The journey was comfortable and on time (in both directions) despite the cost of a first class return ticket being £387.

Included in the first class ticket are complimentary newspapers (The Times and on the return the Manchester Evening News), a meal and refreshments.

I noticed that, towards the end of the journey a member of staff came through and started to clear my two empty bottles of water, my newspaper and other bits of rubbish on the table, all of which went into the same bag. I asked this person if the plastic bottles and newspaper would be going for recycling. She said she didn’t know.

On the next table, the remains of that person’s meal, newspaper and glass wine bottles all went in the same bag.

When I returned to London I asked a member of staff what happens to all of the rubbish off of a train and was told that he couldn’t tell me because it was a security issue.

Not put off by such an answer, I asked another member of staff. This person explained that all rubbish that is removed from the trains goes into a compactor and gets taken away to landfill. She added that the rubbish is not separated into recyclables as no one has the time to do this and it would mean employing more staff.

I wrote to Virgin Trains about my concerns about the apparent total lack of recycling. I have not yet received a response.

As a resident of Harrow, a town which has excellent recycling options, I am totally disgusted that a large company such as Virgin can take such a cavalier attitude to recycling, particularly when you look on its website and it boasts about how environmentally friendly its Pendolino Trains — that pass through Harrow and Wealdstone at 125mph — are.

However, the website fails to mention exactly what impact the diesel trains have on the environment.

The next time I travel on Virgin Trains, I will bring all of my recyclable waste home with me and put it in my blue bin.

Andie Wilkinson, Platinum House, Lyon Road, Harrow