YATE TRAIN ACTION CAMPAIGN IS FORMED

Conservative campaigner, Matthew Riddle, has launched a major new campaign to improve train services serving Yate.

Commuters to and from Yate often tell tales of not being able to squeeze onto some services due to the scale of overcrowding. The Yate Train Action campaign (www.yatetrainaction.com) aims to tackle this overcrowding by increasing capacity on the local rail network through more frequent services as well as additional rolling stock.

In earlier drafts of the Regional Spatial Strategy (RSS), the Government admitted that a train turnback at Yate would allow half-hourly cross-Bristol services.  However, the latest version of the RSS deleted specific references to a Yate turnback, despite proposing to impose 3,000 new houses onto the town.

Campaigners see Network Rail’s ‘Route Utilisation Strategy’ (RUS) as a way to get the Yate turnback back on the agenda. Consultation on the RUS is expected to take place in spring 2009.

The Government’s discussions with First Great Western on the subject of additional rolling stock capacity for the Bristol area are not expected to conclude until well into 2009. Even then commercial negotiations between the parties may prove unsuccessful.

Prospective Conservative MP for the new Thornbury and Yate constituency, Matthew Riddle said:

“Commuters from Yate currently have to put up with train services that are often late, overcrowded and over-priced. A wide range of improvements are badly needed now, well before the Government even thinks of imposing thousands more houses on the town.”

“We know from other changes to the Regional Spatial Strategy, that Ministers are trying to row back from any commitment to improve rail services serving the town. This is despite the fact that rail use from Yate increased by over 18 per cent in 2006/07.”

“We’ve got to fight back and get something done after years of little or no progress. One of the most immediate fights is to get Network Rail to fund a train ‘turnback’ facility at Yate, which would be a huge step towards more frequent cross-Bristol services and, therefore, much greater capacity.”

“Formal consultation on Network Rail’s ‘Route Utilisation Strategy’ – which will decide the fate of a ‘turnback’ – is expected to take place in spring 2009, but many people are concerned that we’ll simply be asked to rubber-stamp schemes that have already been decided.”

“With Ministers stalling on the issue of additional rolling stock for the West of England, we need to start campaigning now for a train turnback facility to ensure it gets into Network Rail’s consultation, as it will be competing with other schemes for a slice of what is a very limited budget.”

“I urge people to sign our online petition so we can show both the Government and Network Rail how much support there is for greater capacity on the line between Bristol and Yate.”

“A train turnback, however, has to be part of a wider package of rail improvements both at Yate and throughout the Bristol area and we’ll be working hard to get each of these improvements in place.”

For more information contact Matthew on:

07877413298