Extract from Lords debate on Industrial Strategy - Jan 8
Tuesday, 9 January 2018 06:42
Baroness Randerson (LD):...As a Liberal Democrat, I looked for
something very ambitious in the Secretary of State’s railways
strategy; instead, I saw a miserable lack of ambition. The decision
to abandon the electrification of the Great Western line
beyond Cardiff and the trans-Pennine line sends the wrong message
if we are to solve the problem of overcrowded railways. Last week’s
3.4% increase in rail fares did not send out the message that the
Government are committed to...Request free trial
(LD):...As a
Liberal Democrat, I looked for something very ambitious in the
Secretary of State’s railways strategy; instead, I saw a miserable
lack of ambition. The decision to abandon the electrification of
the Great
Western line beyond Cardiff and the trans-Pennine line
sends the wrong message if we are to solve the problem of
overcrowded railways. Last week’s 3.4% increase in rail fares did
not send out the message that the Government are committed to
improving the country’s transport and linking up our cities. We
need HS2 but it should not soak up all the investment; it should be
just one part of the jigsaw. We need a much more ambitious approach
to bus services. There is a dwindling number of bus services,
especially in rural areas, which leads to increased congestion.
There is the danger that the Government’s announcement on clean air
zones might drive buses off the road as local authorities choose to
impose much higher standards on buses than on cars in this respect.
However, buses are the solution to the transport problem...
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