Christopher Fraser, MP for South West Norfolk, has called on the Government to guarantee investment in the rural railway network in Norfolk.
His call came after the Secretary of State for Transport, Ruth Kelly MP, gave a statement to the House of Commons on a Government White Paper on the future of rail. The White Paper aims to address issues such as rail safety, capacity and reliability. Christopher Fraser stressed to the Secretary of State the importance of efficient rail links for those who live in isolated rural areas in constituencies such as South West Norfolk. Speaking afterwards, he said:
“I am delighted that the Secretary of State has given me her assurance that appropriate investment in our rural railway networks is guaranteed. I am also pleased that she confirmed there would be no rural line closures over the next seven years; I only hope this will still be the case for the many years that follow. Efficiency and safety must be the absolute priority for our railway links and sufficient investment is a crucial part of this. Many of my constituents, particularly those who live in relative isolation or who do not own their own car, rely heavily on our railways to get to shops, services and work.
“Although I am pleased the Secretary of State has given me her own assurances on this issue, I will await to see whether her words are put into action. This Government has made many similar promises in the past but has failed to deliver the right results. I fear that the only thing we can rely on for now is that the Brown Government will continue to hike up fares for increasingly over-crowded trains.” |