01.08.17
Labour slams DfT for ‘national disgrace’ of overcrowded trains
Labour has today slammed the government for failing to cull overcrowding on trains as it warned that peak capacity will soar to 225% over the limit in five years if current trends continue.
Shadow transport secretary Andy McDonald argued that overcrowding was “fast becoming a national disgrace” under the current Conservative government.
It follows DfT statistics last week finding that Southern ran five of the most crowded services in the country, with the worst being the 7.16am service from East Grinstead to London Bridge – which packed 1,300 passengers onto a train only meant for 640 people.
“It will come as little surprise to long-suffering commuters to hear that overcrowding on trains has reached record levels, but the bad news is that it’s set to get even worse,” McDonald warned. “At the current rate, some of the most vital commuter routes in the country will be appallingly cramped by the end of this Parliament.
“Nobody should have to suffer being crammed into dangerously full carriages as part of their daily commute, but under the Tories passengers face this prospect, paying through the nose for the dubious privilege of being crammed into ever-fuller trains.”
The Labour MP claimed that with fares up by 27% since 2010 and major electrification projects across the country being cancelled, the public are now paying more for less under the Tories.
But a DfT spokesman argued that rail passenger journeys had more than doubled over the last 20 years, and that the department is committed to improving train services for people in the UK.
“We are delivering more trains, more seats and quicker journeys to meet this record demand,” he explained. “We are investing £40bn in our railways and by the end of 2019 we will have more than 3,700 new carriages on the network.
“We know some passengers have not received the service they deserve, and we continue to work with the industry to cut journey times and crowding, improve reliability and deliver more frequent services.”
Top Image: Yui Mok PA Wire
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