Government stalls on extra carriages for West Coast Main Line

10.36.23am UTC (GMT +0000) Fri 7th Mar 2008

Mark calls on the Government to complete negotiations with Virgin Trains to get the extra carriages needed on the West Coast Main Line

This week in Transport Questions in the House of Commons Mark Hunter, MP for the Cheadle constituency and member of the Liberal Democrat Transport team, challenged the Transport Minister to act quickly to create extra capacity on the already crowded West Coast Main Line.

Mr Hunter pointed out to the Transport Minister that at the moment despite high prices for tickets many passengers between Manchester, Stockport and London are left standing in the aisle because there simply isn't room to sit down. He then called on the Government to stop stalling the negotiating process with Virgin Trains so that passengers can get the extra carriages and seats that are required.

Mr Hunter, speaking immediately after Transport Questions said, "Once again it is the passengers that lose out while the Government argue with Virgin Trains over the franchise agreement. No one is trying to argue that the proper procedure shouldn't be followed, but the negotiations have reached a stale mate and the Government need to act quickly to resolve the situation.

"Virgin have been telling the Department for some time that two extra carriages are needed on each train to supply the demand for more seats on the West Coast Main Line, yet the Government have been monumentally slow in acting.

"Passengers on the West Coast Main Line, many of whom are my constituents shouldn't have to put up with standing for two hours or more to get to London, especially when the cost of rail travel is so exorbitantly high, and I will continue to put pressure on the Government to reach a deal with Virgin to resolve the situation and get those new carriages as soon as possible."