News Release

28th January 2008

TRANSPORT MINISTER REJECTS PLAN TO LENGTHEN PENDOLINOS

The Lichfield Commuters' Club supported plans by Virgin to increase the number of carriages on Pendolino trains on the West Coast Main Line from 9 to 11 to reduce overcrowding on busy commuter routes including that from Lichfield Trent Valley to London Euston. A Parliamentary written answer to Michael Fabricant reveals that this proposal has been rejected by the Department of Transport.

The Parliamentary Question and Answer reads:-

Michael Fabricant: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what progress is being made in discussions between her Department and Virgin Trains on the elongation of Pendolino trains from nine to 11 cars. [181442]

Mr. Tom Harris (Minister of Transport): The Department received in 2007 an unsolicited proposal from Virgin Trains to extend their franchise for two years (2012-14), which included a plan to lengthen Pendolino trains, which was analysed in considerable detail. The Department concluded that this proposal provided significantly less value for money compared with the likely outcome of the refranchising exercise scheduled for completion in 2012. The Department is preparing its own proposals to introduce extra capacity on the west coast main line.

"I am very disappointed by this reply" says Michael Fabricant. "Some routes are becoming like cattle trucks with passengers having to stand or squat in the aisles.