Leech Takes Government to Task over North West Rail Crisis

10.43.16pm UTC (GMT +0000) Thu 7th Dec 2006

Revelations that the West Coast Mainline will soon be unable to cope with passenger numbers have spurred Liberal Democrat MP for Manchester Withington John Leech to take on the government by seeking assurances on the future of rail travel in the North West.

Speaking in the House of Commons last week during a Rail Debate, John Leech MP, who is a Lib Dem parliamentary Transport Spokesperson, took the government to task for failing to ensure that our rail network receives the investment needed to keep it going in coming years.

Mr Leech's action comes after a report from government watchdog, the National Audit Office (NAO) claimed that an on-going £8.6bn upgrade to the West Coast Main Line will be insufficient to cope with rises in rail traffic by as early as 2015, an estimate supported by an industry consensus.

Following the debate, John Leech MP said:

"It is crazy that our rail network is not getting the investment it needs. Most people now agree that public transport is better for the environment and that more cars need to taken off our congested roads. However, people will turn to other forms of transport such as air travel, if rail travel becomes more unreliable and crowded. The Government needs to introduce longer franchises, which would allow rail companies to invest more in the network."

The NAO report also said that the number of journeys had increased by 20% and punctuality and passenger satisfaction had also improved, yet the news that North Westerners will struggle to get a seat on a train within a decade has still deeply concerned John Leech MP.

The West Coast Mainline has become an increasing issue in the face of environmentally motivated attempts to decrease local and national congestion without forcing up the number of UK internal flights.

Commenting on this, Liberal Democrat Shadow Transport Secretary, Alistair Carmichael MP recently said:

"To offer a viable alternative to flights within the UK we are going to have to start planning to meet extra demand by putting forward proposals for new high speed lines."

The report has also cast doubts over the longevity of equipment used on the route, including signalling mechanisms, despite a £14.5bn upgrade that contributed to former network authority Railtrack being put into administration.

ENDS