Mims Davies MP welcomes Minister for Rail to East Grinstead
Mims Davies MP said:
"I was very pleased to welcome Minister for Rail, Huw Merriman, MP for Bexhill and Battle, to East Grinstead this week.
Constituents often contact me regarding rail issues, particularly in East Grinstead where the unacceptable lack of regular and suitable train services leave frustrated commuters unable to rely on them to travel into work.
It was therefore crucial to invite the Minister to visit and discuss how we can improve rail services for all residents. Please do not underestimate how hard I am working on this issue and I will keep pushing to get the services on this line that we can all rely on so that the stress, anger and concerns can finally be a thing of the past.
I was also joined by Kristy Adams, the next Parliamentary Candidate for Mid Sussex. For those not aware, there is a newly shaped Mid Sussex seat formed by the boundary commission, where local resident and business woman, Kristy Adams, will be standing for us.
The Mid Sussex Parliamentary seat has now been pretty much split in half, which is why we have the new East Grinstead and Uckfield seat where I will be standing. This seat goes from Copthorne and Pease Pottage, down to Chailey and Isfield, and across to Buxted."
Please also see a link to Mims' trains survey on her website here. If you could please take 5 minutes to complete it, it would be greatly appreciated as Mims can then share these results with the Minister as well as the Department for Transport.
You can also see a video of both Mims Davies MP and the Minister for Rail on his visit to East Grinstead here.
Mims continued:
"Whilst Minister Huw Merriman was with us in East Grinstead, we discussed all things rail - from cancellations, lack of reliability and demand, to lack of connections, commuter trains in the morning and evening, and the strong feeling from residents that the Brighton-London Gatwick main line is prioritised over the East Grinstead line.
I hear regularly from constituents that the ongoing cancellations is a huge cause for concern as it now means trains are unreliable making work and personal commitments nerve wracking.
Another issue I raised with the Rail Minister was the lack of direct trains, particularly in the evenings and after work, causing residents to have no choice but to pay for expensive taxis which their hard earned money. Not only is this inconvenient for workers coming back in the evening, but also makes it not viable to go to London at night, whether for work or pleasure. I expressed just how unviable this is, especially with London being a merely 20 odd miles away.
Not only are the lack of evening trains a problem for commuters, but I also raised the frequent cancellation of the 07.14am service which commuters concerningly refer to as a 'ghost train'.
During this meeting, we also met with local councillors at Age UK. including Cllr John Belsey. I felt it important to invite local councillors to join Kristy and I to share concerns their residents are raising with them, as well as the concerns I've received from residents.
I explained to the Minister that we are still also pushing extremely hard to even get back to pre-COVID services and timetables, which is really having a negative impact on residents' lives."
