West Coast Main Line (Commuter Services)

Part of the debate – in Westminster Hall at 12:30 pm on 24 March 2009.

Alert me about debates like this

Photo of Mark Lancaster Mark Lancaster Shadow Minister (International Development) 12:30, 24 March 2009

Indeed, that has unfortunately been my experience, and I intend to go into detail about it when I say something about London Midland. Finally, just before I conclude, I want to ask a few questions about the Department's proposed demand management regulation of fares.

To begin with Virgin Trains, gone are the days when Milton Keynes used to be, apart from, perhaps, Watford, the first stop on the inter-city line. It is now very much the penultimate stop on the commuter line. Commuters can no longer get on the rather efficient 32-minute trains provided by Virgin. There is no access to them at all, but it is actually worse than that. The appalling situation—I say this with a slight smile on my face—is rubbed in the face of commuters, who line the platform of Milton Keynes station as a Virgin train pulls up to allow passengers off but not allow anyone on, even though there are empty spaces and seats in the carriages. Can the Minister imagine seeing, on a cold winter's day, a nice, half-full Virgin train, as he waits to get on his overcrowded London Midland commuter train with no seats, and being told that he is not allowed to get on? It is frankly mean. I understand that at the moment Virgin Trains is more interested in the long-distance routes, but there is spare capacity on the trains. Why, in the interim, when there is such overcrowding on commuter trains, can we not continue to allow people to get on to some of the trains that stop in Milton Keynes as the last stop southbound to London?

Virgin Trains, however, is not the focus of my remarks. I want to say more about London Midland. Since London Midland took over the franchise for the Milton Keynes Central to London Euston route—and it still covers the Bletchley to Bedford route—it is a matter of record that the service delivery has deteriorated markedly. Trains are unreliable. Many are subject to technical difficulties and there are crew shortages, rostering mistakes resulting in severe delays and many cancellations. Punctuality is poor and with many peak trains full, with standing room only, Milton Keynes commuters feel badly let down. Figures released by Network Rail in January 2009 show beyond any doubt that London Midland is the worst performing train operator in the UK. I have over the past few months received a deluge of correspondence from disappointed constituents, as has my hon. Friend Andrew Selous. Many of those constituents are now considering car-sharing schemes or, ironically at a time when the Government are forcing Milton Keynes to expand, even relocating away from the city. I could occupy the whole debate with London Midland, but I will just make a few key points.