Rayleigh and Wickford MP is today calling for the
resignation of Mr Jamie Burles, the Managing Director of Abellio
Greater Anglia over the poor service on the Southend Victoria to
London Liverpool Street, during an adjournment debate in the
House of Commons.
During the adjournment debate, Mark is intending to raise
his concerns with the regularly poor service, weekend and late
week day evening track closures and the management of the line by
Abellio Greater Anglia and Network Rail.
Mark has been left exasperated by news that engineering
work on the line will be extended from late 2019 to spring 2021
and during a meeting with Mr Jamie Burles at the Conservative
Party Conference, Mark pleaded with Abellio to offer his
constituents some form of compensation when they renew their
season ticket. After being informed that a discount would not be
possible, Mark has taken the hard decision to call for Mr Burles’
resignation with the hope that new management will improve
performance and respect their customers.
Mark will also criticise the management of Network Rail for
their handling of the current track overhead re-wiring project
which will have taken them nearly five years to have completed 30
miles. Network Rail are not public facing and have no need to be
responsive to the travelling public. As a result, Mark is calling
for the reunification of train and track, to form regional
railway companies and ending the “blame game” between Network
Rail and the rail companies.
Commenting on his debate, Mark said:
“After years of Abellio’s poor management and a shoddy
service to my constituents, who they have taken for granted for
too long, I have had enough. I believe that the only way for
Abellio to improve the service on the line is under new
management and therefore I took the heavy decision to call on Mr
Burles to resign as the Managing Director. Rail services to my
constituency need to urgently improve and I hope that the Rail
Minister, Mr , will look into all the concerns
that I will raise with him in today’s debate.”
