Action Needed to Improve our Train Services: Duncan Hames

1.56.00pm GMT Wed 16th Jan 2008

Duncan Hames - Taking action to improve our railways.

Duncan Hames, prospective Lib Dem MP for Chippenham, yesterday (Tuesday) attended a public meeting of the More Train, Less Strain campaign, based in Bath.

The campaign group aims to challenge the government and First Great Western train company, over their poor standards and high prices, and to push them into providing a better service for passengers.

The group held a 'Fare Strike' last year and was successful in gaining more carriages on local services running from Bristol Temple Meads, Bath, Portsmouth, Cardiff and other intermediary stations.

The latest call for action has come following the severe delays and cancellations at the end of 2007 and the drastic fare rises incurred at the start of 2008.

Duncan Hames said: "The service has become so unreliable and expensive that it is putting people off travelling in the environmentally friendly way. We are now in a crazy situation where it can be cheaper to get a taxi than a train on some routes.

"The government and the train companies have a duty of care to their customers that they are not fulfilling. It is not right to expect a passenger to pay over the odds for a train journey, especially when they are often forced into 'cattle class' for hours once on board."

The meeting called for direct action to be taken, suggestions included a Fare Strike on January 28th or taking a taxi to the Houses of Parliament to meet MPs and Civil Servants.