What should you ask your MP to lobby for to support the rail passenger?

[whole diary]

[grahame]

A national rail user group is asking members to write to their MP^▸ (Member of Parliament, or Mile Post (a method of measuring the railway in miles and chains from a starting point - usually London), depending on context) to raise urgent rail matters with them.   Different user groups have different balances / metrics ... this list above contains their ideas of what they consider urgent and some things they have not listed, but what are our top three?

[ChrisB]

The railways are almost under public ownership now, and you can see just how that is likely to turn out currently,. It isn't currently one of my priorities for that reason.

The ORR^» (Office of Rail and Road, formerly Office of Rail Regulation - about) have already ruled out cancellations the previous evening as being reportable & compensatory & told the TOCs^▸ (Train Operating Company) to behave, so don't waste your vote on that. MPs^▸ (Member of Parliament, or Mile Post (a method of measuring the railway in miles and chains from a starting point - usually London), depending on context) will just respond with thew same reason if you do.

[grahame]

I am a "right one" - I set up the poll, selected the options to offer, then voted for "something else" myself.

One option offered was "Return services to pre-Covid level" and I see it's a popular option.  But it worries me that it's looking back and not forward.  For sure it would bring back through services from Bristol Temple Meads to Waterloo, but it would also reduced services Bristol Temple Meads to Severn Beach by a half, and to Avonmouth by a quarter.  Not unhappy at having lost the 11:11 Westbury to Southampton.   And is the option asking for Cheltenham Spa to Worcester to remain every 2 hours?   So I'm going to go for "Increase services as appropriate" but I am searching for strong words that describe a sensible growth.

[Ralph Ayres]

I voted for "Fare system sort out" but fear it will be done in a typically shambolic DfT^» (Department for Transport - about) way. It's just too big and complex, with too much politics involved and too many opportunities to grab sound bites, in much the way that a new railway stretching the length of the country to give more capacity and help take freight off the roads got dumbed-down by calling it High Speed 2.

[johnneyw]

My "something else" would be to ask for a speeding up and expansion of the "Reversing Beeching" program.
Well, I can dream!

[CyclingSid]

It would be useful if the MPs^▸ (Member of Parliament, or Mile Post (a method of measuring the railway in miles and chains from a starting point - usually London), depending on context) regularly travelled by train, and then they probably wouldn't need us to tell them what was needed?

[froome]

It would be useful if the MPs^▸ (Member of Parliament, or Mile Post (a method of measuring the railway in miles and chains from a starting point - usually London), depending on context) regularly travelled by train, and then they probably wouldn't need us to tell them what was needed?

It would also help if they had to carry a fair bit of luggage with them, had to book their own tickets for themselves, and couldn't rely on on-line access at every stage of their journey.

[Red Squirrel]

 My ‘something else’ was to get on with sorting out an ‘arms length’ body to run the railway as a public service with clear goals and minimal operational interference. We can dream…

[Bob_Blakey]

My 'Something Else' would be a nationally implemented, properly focussed, programme of revenue protection, particularly on 'local' services which, I believe, require higher levels of financial support than the longer distance routes.

[grahame]

It would be useful if the MPs^▸ (Member of Parliament, or Mile Post (a method of measuring the railway in miles and chains from a starting point - usually London), depending on context) regularly travelled by train, and then they probably wouldn't need us to tell them what was needed?

Ours does, and comes across as very rail positive and public transport forward looking.  Their metrics may differ to the general public in being very focused on journeys to and from London from their main hubs, and on the fares stuff it may not greatly matter to them as they can probably claim back expenses ... I have bumped into at least three MPs at Wiltshire stations, but none of them waiting for the first off peak train!

[GBM]

I believe most Cornish M.P's use the train to/from London, not sure if they've gone via the sleeper.

[TaplowGreen]

I believe most Cornish M.P's use the train to/from London, not sure if they've gone via the sleeper.

It's the main reason the sleeper maintains its huge subsidy!

[REVUpminster]

Kevin Foster MP^▸ (Member of Parliament, or Mile Post (a method of measuring the railway in miles and chains from a starting point - usually London), depending on context) for Torbay knew his 143 from a 150, travels regularly from Newton Abbot to Paddington. Probably why he didn't last long as rail minister.