Better rail services for Berwick, Alnmouth and Morpeth - Minister assures Beith in Commons

4.30.00pm GMT Thu 4th Feb 2010

MPs Mike Moore and Alan Beith are determined to see the retention of the early train from the Borders and Northumberland to London.

There WILL be more trains calling at Berwick, Alnmouth and Morpeth from May 2011, the Undersecretary of State for Transport has assured Sir Alan Beith MP, after the Berwick Liberal Democrat secured a debate on future services in the House of Commons.

Sir Alan had called for the debate following confusion amongst rail users over two consultations on future services and the apparent loss of services from draft timetables, and the difficulty of finding accurate information about proposed changes.

During the debate the Minister confirmed that from May 2011 there will be trains every hour to and from London which call at Berwick, as well as a 2-hourly Cross Country Service. There will also be a 30% increase in train services at Alnmouth and additional trains calling at Morpeth.

Sir Alan welcomed the confirmation, saying

"The Minister made commitments to what will in many ways be an improved service from Berwick and Alnmouth and will restore services at Morpeth which were not in the draft timetable, and I look forward to seeing the details in a revised timetable."

Sir Alan will be continuing to press for the restoration of a service from Northumberland which reaches London before 10.00am. He added

"There is still a serious problem with there being no train to get business people into London from Northumberland before 10.41 am. That is a serious deterioration in the service which will force some people to use the plane rather than the train."

The Minister said that changes to the early train from Edinburgh to speed up the service were being brought in to encourage people to choose rail rather than air travel to move between the capitals. However, Sir Alan argues that the loss of a service arriving early into London from Northumberland would probably increase the number of people flying from Newcastle, wiping out any perceived environmental gain.

Sir Alan Beith and his Liberal Democrat colleague Mike Moore MP, who represents Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk, are meeting the Undersecretary of State on 23 February to follow up these concerns and to push for reinstatement of the early service.