Improve our Rail Service

I might have been expected this week to write about the Chancellor's Pre Budget Report. I have only two comments to make on it. Firstly it was obviously a manifesto document in preparation for the coming General Election and I believe contained little to encourage voters.

Secondly it did nothing to quieten the anger of the ordinary person over bonuses being awarded to bankers. I have it on good authority that, as predicted by Vince Cable in his response to Darling's speech, a way around paying bonuses and any tax have already been found.

However, my concern at the moment is focused on the future rail service on both the Hastings to Charing Cross and Cannon Street line and also on what is known as the East Coastway service. This is the one which most Bexhillians use to go to London, travelling via Haywards Heath into Victoria.

All rail travellers are obviously looking for an improved and more reliable journey time particularly those who travel each day to work and bring back much needed money for our local economy. There has been little improvement to journey time for a good number of years. On the Hastings to London service there is concern that the direct service into Cannon Street will be discontinued in 2014. Those regularly using that service will consider it a great downgrading of their journey to work. The knock on effect is likely to be that in the small villages where these people live we will see an exodus of commuters which will affect not only the local economy but probably the social community too.

The new trains '“ Javelins - on the high speed line from Ashford to London have surely been paid for by the fare increases on both of our lines. However, without further investment in our local rail infrastructure which could include the electrification of the Hastings to Ashford line and improved signalling along the coast, travellers in this constituency of Bexhill and Battle are unlikely to see any benefit. Longer franchises for the train operating companies could help the situation.

I was very pleased to be asked to attend the monthly meeting of Bexhill Rail Action Group '“ BRAG - together with my fellow Lib Dem from Hastings, Nick Perry. I hope that they too were pleased to hear of the support which we Liberal Democrats have for the improvement of the rail system. I will continue to campaign for improvements, through all channels available to me.