The Member of Parliament for Eastleigh, Mims Davies, has welcomed a Statement by the Secretary of State for Transport, Chris Grayling, in which he has set out plans to embark on the biggest rail modernisation programme since Victorian times.
Commenting, Mims said:
“Eastleigh is a historic railway town, and so my constituents have witnessed first-hand the massive growth in Britain’s railways. The rail industry has been key to that growth, delivering new investment, new trains and doubling the number of passengers.”
“However, with that growth in passenger numbers comes ever growing challenges. Almost unbelievably it takes one hour to travel from Portsmouth to Southampton via train. I have therefore asked the Secretary of State for Transport for his assurance that he will work across all Departments to ensure that those constituencies that are providing housing, such as Eastleigh, are supported with infrastructure, tackling congestion and slashing air pollution. I was pleased to get that assurance today.”
“I also welcome that the Secretary of State has confirmed that he will work alongside the Communities Secretary to ensure that those areas that are responsible, and build the homes that this country needs, are properly supported by infrastructure, whether it that be road, rail or indeed cycle routes.”
“Meanwhile, I recognise the very welcome announcements within today’s Statement for my constituents, including compensation for passengers when trains are more than 15 minutes late, the introduction of smart ticketing across almost all of the network by 2018, the extension of discounted rail travel, and support for the introduction of a Rail Ombudsman to ensure all passengers are treated fairly."
Concluding his statement, the Secretary of State for Transport, Chris Grayling said:
“Privatisation brought a revolution to our railway. Investment, growth, and a new lease of life for a key public service. Now is the time for evolution to build on that success. Joining up track and train. Expanding the network. Modernising the customer experience. Opening the railway for new innovation.”