Government must not allow local rail services to drift for another two years

10.11.07am GMT Sat 12th Dec 2009

Labour has let us down over rail services from Cambridge to London.

Commenting on National Express's loss of the East Anglia rail franchise three years early, Peter Wilcock, the Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Candidate for Saffron Walden Constituency, said "The Government has admitted that National Express can't run the three rail franchises for the price that it forecast in its bids to the Government. It is disgraceful that the Government is doing nothing to help the Liverpool Street to Cambridge West Anglia Line passengers who will have to put up with out-of-date sub-standard National Express rolling stock for another two years.

"The Government should take the East Anglia rail franchise - which includes the Liverpool Street to Cambridge line - back into the public sector as soon as possible, pending retendering. It should also stop dragging its feet over the improvements to the West Anglia line that are needed to provide faster journeys."

The Liberal Democrats are calling for the present franchise system to be replaced with one where the successful bidders get a longer lease that will allow them to invest in new rolling stock on the Liverpool Street to Cambridge service. Any rail fare rises should be capped at the rate of inflation. The Liberal Democrats' priority is quality of service and, where possible, fare reductions. Labour's priority has been to maximise the take for the Treasury.

Peter Wilcock summed up "Rail passengers in Britain pay the most expensive fares in Europe. We need a new franchise system, offering longer, rolling franchises for companies that provide a faster service with modern trains for more a more affordable price. Currently commuters on the West Anglia line are getting a raw deal, with Stansted Expess passengers taking priority over them in terms of service frequency, quality and proposed investment in new rolling stock."