With Torbay and the South West once again cut off by rail this week following severe storms, local MP Kevin Foster raised the issue with Theresa May at PMQs.
This week the South West Region’s MPs came together with local councils and businesses to support the launch of the Peninsula Rail Force report into improving our transport infrastructure, and this week’s bad weather has once again highlighted the well known and long standing shortcomings with our rail service. Kevin was just one of thousands of people who took up to 12 hours on Monday to travel between Torbay and London Paddington.
Kevin asked the PM:
“The Prime Minister will be aware that yesterday the Peninsula Rail Task Force launched its report, which was commissioned in 2014 following the storms which severed Devon & Cornwall’s vital rail link, just as our vital rail link was severed yet again by flooding! Does she, like me, welcome the report and will she commit the Government to ensuring the vision it contains is delivered?"
Kevin has also been clear in meetings with Government Ministers this week that real focus has to be given on improving the transport links to our region.