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Rt. Hon. Sir Alan Beith MPLiberal Democrat Member of Parliament for Berwick Upon TweedWorking for you and the Berwick upon Tweed Constituency all year roundin Northumberland and in Westminster |
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Beith's battle for better trains secures success!
June 14, 2010 12:00 AM
Sir Alan Beith MP has been fighting for better train servies from Berwick, Alnmouth and Morpeth and has secured significant improvements to the service.
Sir Alan Beith, Liberal Democrat MP for Berwick upon Tweed, has won his battle with Government Ministers and East Coast and secured better services for rail users in Northumberland and the Borders.
Following lengthy and detailed negotiations, East Coast have told Sir Alan Beith that when the new timetable is introduced in 2011, there will be a service leaving Berwick for London at 0559, calling at Alnmouth at 0620 and Morpeth at 0636. The service will arrive into Kings Cross at 0959, with an earlier arrival possible by changing trains at Newcastle.
Sir Alan and neighbouring MP Michael Moore, the Liberal Democrat who represents Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk, have been working on this issue since the Eureka! Timetable consultation began. The original proposals would have seen a withdrawal of the 0545 service from Berwick to London, with the first train of the day leaving much later.
Sir Alan Beith said
"The loss of the earliest train would have forced many local people to drive to either Edinburgh or Newcastle at a very early hour and perhaps take the plane instead of the train. Michael Moore and I argued that there had to be an early service to London and we have ended up with a quicker journey and an earlier arrival than we have at present.
"I am delighted to have secured this service for people in Northumberland and the Borders who have built their working arrangements around our train services."
"I very much welcome the way East Coast have responded to local needs."
Sir Alan has also welcomed the news that there will be later trains to Berwick and Alnmouth every weekday from London with a 1900 train from London to Berwick and a 1930 train from London to Alnmouth every weekday. At present the last train from London to Berwick is at 1800 on Monday to Thursday and 1900 on Fridays. The last direct service for Alnmouth currently leaves Kings Cross at 1730, Monday to Thursday, and 1900 on Fridays.
East Coast external relations manager Neal Smith said:
"Elaine Holt, the chairwoman of East Coast, has had an excellent and constructive dialogue with Sir Alan over recent months."
Sir Alan is continuing to work with rail users, rail operating companies and Ministers over the high cost of some train fares.
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The following briefing note was provided by East Coast for Sir Alan Beith MP:
East Coast Chairman Elaine Holt was delighted to tell Sir Alan today (Thursday 10 June) that the company has taken on board his, and many other stakeholder and customers' views to make positive changes to the proposed Eureka! timetable.
East Coast has listened to views expressed during its consultation on Eureka! It has now asked Network Rail, which is developing the Eureka! timetable, to make these changes as a result of this helpful feedback. The timetable remains in development but is planned to be introduced on 22 May 2011.
The changes to the latest version of the timetable include:-
Arrivals into London before 1000 - FIXED.
The proposed introduction of a service from Berwick departing at 0559, Alnmouth at 0620, Morpeth at 0636, Newcastle at 0652, arriving into London at 0959. This would be the first time ever that it could be possible to arrive in London before 1000 from Alnmouth and Morpeth without the use of an overnight sleeper. The 0559 also connects with the four hour Flying Scotsman at Newcastle, departing 0704, arriving even earlier at 0940 (you can therefore get to London 19 minutes earlier by changing at Newcastle with a very good connection time).
These changes follow Sir Alan (and other stakeholder and customers) asking East Coast to include a service from Northumberland stations that arrived in London before 1000. The previous timetable had an earliest service arriving at 1040 - so the two options to get to London before 1000 are a major improvement.
The latest train from King's Cross to Alnmouth and Berwick was at 1800 in the last timetable draft - FIXED (later). It's now proposed to depart King's Cross at 1930 for Alnmouth, arriving 2312; and 1900 to arrive in Berwick at 2235.
Assurances that the number of services is going to stay the same (or improve) - FIXED, yes with a train per hour as outlined by the Minister in the House earlier this year: Alnmouth will gain from more long distance trains, not less, and with a better frequency.
Ensuring school children can get home from Newcastle - FIXED. We understand there will be a service departing Newcastle at 1639.
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