When I’m out and about, at events, knocking on doors, or even at Park Run, the number one topic people have been raising with me recently is the unacceptably poor train service from Lynn. It is the first thing constituents have been bringing up unprompted.
Little surprise when the latest figures from the Fen Line Users Association show that 380 trains were cancelled in July alone. Nearly 180 were cancelled in June and that worsening level of service is why last Monday I met senior executives from Great Northern (GTR) and Great British Railways (GBR) Anglia to demand urgent action to restore reliable services.
I began by setting out examples of constituents’ journeys and the real life impact of unreliable rail services, including people missing medical appointments, a young mum and her baby stuck on a broken-down train for hours without air conditioning, people stranded by cancellations and delays, and commuters facing repeated disruption trying to get to and from work.
I made clear that when things go wrong passenger’s delay repay claims should be paid promptly – not have them rejected due to their misfortune in having so many services affected. GTR acknowledged the issue and said they had made changes. I still think discounts should apply where rail replacement buses are in operation given the extra journey time and will continue to press the government on that.
Both companies apologised for the poor service. Clearly the extreme hot weather has caused real challenges leading to soil moisture deficit causing the peat beneath sections of track to shrink, requiring ongoing realignment and strengthening works, as well as overhead power line issues which remain under investigation. There have also been fleet reliability issues on the class 379s trains including air conditioning and safety camera faults – leading to more trains requiring maintenance and coming out of service.
Apologies are well and good, but what passengers want to know is what’s the plan to get services back on track.
First, the new timetable changes from 3 August will reduce speeds on part of the line to limit damage to the track. There is also a new prioritisation of King’s Lynn services rather than other services through Cambridge – previously if a Lynn train was running a few minutes late it would be held, delayed or the service ended. To ensure there are trains available there is work to improve the reliability of the trains. Finally, further infrastructure improvements to the line are ongoing.
After too many cancellations and uncertainty about whether trains will run, it is vital the steps being taking to improve reliability of the trains and the tracks are effective. Having a more resilient and reliable service is what matters to passengers. I will keep pressing GTR and Network Rail until people in North West Norfolk get the service they deserve.
