MP UP EARLY TO CATCH COMMUTERS (Cheltenham Liberal Democrats)

Cheltenham Liberal Democrats <info@cheltlibdems.org.uk>

MP UP EARLY TO CATCH COMMUTERS

August 13, 2008 3:37 PM

LOCAL MP MARTIN HORWOOD relived his days as a business commuter today by getting up bright and early to get to Cheltenham Spa station before 7 o'clock in the morning. He was joining other campaigners handing out leaflets to current commuters about the doubling of the Swindon to Kemble line. This rail improvement plan could deliver a more reliable service to Reading and London and more direct trains from Cheltenham too. The £38 million investment needed has controversially been dropped from the Office of the Rail Regulator's list but consultation is open until 4 September and a cross-party campaign is trying to get it reinstated.

Martin said "I'm a regular user of this service for my trips to Parliament but I don't often have to catch the earlybird service as I did when I worked in business in Cheltenham and regularly had early client meetings in London. But getting up at the crack of dawn is a regular experience for many local business people and the last thing you want to see is the dreaded cancellation or even a delay bad enough to make you late for a vital meeting. And in this kind of economic climate, most meetings are vital." Martin worked for local marketing agency Target Direct - now Tangible Response - before being elected as the town's MP in 2005. He regularly travelled to London for client meetings with many top charities including the Salvation Army, Royal British Legion, Diabetes UK, the Alzheimer's Society and the MS Society.

"It was no surprise that many of my work colleagues used to drive their cars to Swindon in search of a more reliable and regular service to London and I know many people from Cheltenham feel forced to do this still. But that's no good for congestion or the environment or peoples' stress levels when we should have a perfectly good railway service direct from Cheltenham.

"The doubling of the Swindon to Kemble line sounds like a bit of technical detail but what it actually means is more direct trains from Cheltenham to London and a more reliable service across the local network."

Martin has already raised the issue in Parliament along with other Gloucestershire MPs of all parties.