THE Government has no intention of reducing the national network under

its rail privatisation plans, Transport Secretary John MacGregor said

last night.

However, he told an all-party Commons transport committee: ''What I

cannot say is that the service will remain for all time.''

Mr MacGregor also firmly denied that privatisation was being

introduced just to save money for the Treasury. He also assured British

Rail staff and pensioners that rumours that the Government would take a

large proportion of the BR's pension fund were ''absolutely and

completely false''.