A Cumbrian Conservative MP has called on the Government to get a grip of the disruption on the region’s railways.
Simon Fell, who represents Barrow and Furness, called on the newly appointed Secretary of State for Transport, Anne-Marie Trevellyan as part of an urgent question put to the Department for Transport concerning the disruption along the West Coast Main Line, specifically services operated by Avanti.
The MP was joined by fellow Copeland MP and Transport Minister, Trudy Harrison, who was answering questions and points raised by back bench MPs from the dispatch box in Parliament, earlier today.
Mr Fell said the quality and quantity of services running had dropped significantly, which had a detrimental impact on Furness residents and commuters to and from Furness are experiencing similar disruption to service on the Furness Line, operated by Northern.
Addressing Mrs Harrison, Mr Fell said: “Can my Honourable Friend assure me that the new Secretary of State will be getting a grip on this issue so our constituents don’t have to live with this for much longer?”
Mrs Harrison said: “I understand the challenges, particularly on the Cumbria Coastal line. In fact, I’ve spoken to passengers who have the pain of the last train being cancelled and I for one would like to see that policy come to an end.
“But it’s certainly why we have taken the decision, the difficult decision to reduce the timetable, to provide the certainty and avoid people expecting a train to be running and then being told at the last minute that that train will not run. That is in nobody’s best interest.”
