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Government U-turn on rail overcrowding pledge
Ellen Widdup30.03.09
THE Government has cut back promises to ease rail overcrowding, it was revealed today.
The rail White Paper, published in July 2007, pledged 1,300 extra carriages, but transport bosses have decided to reduce this to 973.
Only 423 have been ordered, with a further 550 due to be requested in the next two years. The shortfall is likely to hit Southern and Southeastern. It will save the Government £70million a year.
Shadow transport secretary Theresa Villiers said it was a disgrace as passengers were already "struggling with sub-cattle-class overcrowding".
A Department for Transport spokesman said it would make up the shortfall with "around 1,200 new Thameslink carriages".
Reader views (2)
Strange, I don't recall this U-turn being announced with the same fanfare as the original pledge.
The bottom line is that NuLiebour were never going to deliver on this promise, it was only ever a vacuous headline-grabbing soundbite designed to make the rail transport lobby shut up and go away for a while.
- Keith Lonsdale, Doncaster
Hello London ,
Where is the Health and Safety Executive?.
This is MADDNESS in an accident on a crowded train Humans are tossed around like pancakes.
There should be a "U" turn of the "U" turn NOW?.
- John., Scarborough N.Yorks U.K.
