08.05.12
More MPs come out against McNulty proposals
More than 100 MPs have now signed a Commons motion opposing the Government’s rail policies and the implementation of the McNulty value for money study recommendations.
The early day motion, first tabled by Labour MP John McDonnell in October last year, is backed primarily by Labour MPs, but also by 13 Lib Dems, three Plaid Cymru members, the SNP’s Pete Wishart and Green MP Caroline Lucas.
The motion notes concerns that the McNulty recommendations will “worsen passenger services” as frontline staff are sacked, TOCs get more power to raise fares, and Network Rail is ‘broken up’.
This will “increase the complexity and inefficiency of the railways, and ignores lessons from railways in European countries which have generally achieved lower costs and fares through a more unified structure”, it says.
This is a similar view to that taken by the main rail unions, which have welcomed the MPs’ support, but the Government says the costs of running the railway have to come down, in the interests of passengers and taxpayers.
Hitting the £3.5bn savings target by 2019 will, according to rail minister Theresa Villiers “put an end to the era of above-inflation increases in average regulated fares”.
She said: “To address crowding, cut journey times, and improve the passenger experience, we are funding thousands of new carriages across the country, electrifying swathes of the rail network, and redeveloping many of our great railway stations.”
(Palaceof Westminsterimage courtesy Jim Trodel, reproduced under a Creative Commons licence. See www.flickr.com/photos/trodel/with/3599402258/ )
Tell us what you think – have your say below, or email us directly at [email protected]