Rail Cuts are "Ill-Judged and outrageous"
December 7, 2009 9:25 AM
Malcolm Robertson, KCC Liberal Democrat Opposition Spokesperson on Transport matters and Maidstone Borough Council Railways Champion is outraged by the Government's decision to axe Maidstone and West Malling's vital direct commuter rail service to London Canon Street and Charing Cross via London Bridge.
District and County Liberal Democrats have campaigned on this issue and also strongly supported the local commuter Rail User Groups in their campaign to keep these vital trains. Norman Baker MP, national Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Spokesperson, wrote to the Minister in support of retaining the service. Norman Baker MP and our local MPs have all been snubbed by this deplorable and ill thought-through decision.
Malcolm Robertson has said:
"This is a decision that affects a substantial number of real people's lives. Elsewhere in Kent people are now being offered the opportunity of paying money to spend more time at home with their families by using the new HST commuter services, and take-up is very high. Maidstone commuters receive no benefit whatsoever from these new HST services and are now being dealt the dreadful blow of having to endure an ADDITIONAL 20 minutes or more in travelling time on every journey to and from work. This is quite inhuman and is resulting in additional pressures on families which may even lead to some people having to move house."
Maidstone is the County Town. It is a very successful shopping destination and it is both a Regional Transport Hub and a Government designated Secondary Growth Point. It is being expected to accommodate 11,000 new houses by 2026.
Cllr. Robertson added:
"It seems ridiculous that in travel time, Maidstone is now as far from London as Folkestone and yet it is less than half the actual distance. How can Government in all conscience then go ahead with this appalling cut in services which makes matters even worse and inflicts such harm on local families?
Your Liberal Democrat representatives will continue to fight this injustice with every means open to us."
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