Rail User Survey shows "devastating consequences" of train cuts

4.17.12pm GMT Mon 20th Nov 2006

Michael german AM conducted the rail users' survey with early morning commuters at Severn Tunnel Junction

A survey of local train users at Severn Tunnel Junction has shown that many rail commuters will jump in their cars to get work as a result of recently announced trains cuts for the winter 2006/2007 timetable.

Local Assembly Member, Michael German, conducted a survey of early morning rail users at Severn Tunnel Junction last week to see for himself the affects the cuts will be on local people.

The initial results of Mr German's survey shows that 40 per cent of those survey said that the changes will "make things difficult for me" with a further 34 per cent saying that the changes will mean that they are going to have to find another way to get work. A further 26 per cent said that they would have to talk to their employees in a bid to rearrange their working day to fit in with the new train timetables.

Mr. German said, "I expected a high proportion of people to say that the axing of train services at Severn Tunnel Junction would make things difficult. I didn't expect a near 100 per cent of people telling me this. One person has already put their house on the market in order to move to Bristol."

The result of the survey also show that 61 per cent of people will jump into their cars in a bid to get to work, with 23 per cent saying that they may have to look into changing their job/or the location of their job with their employer.

Mr. German added: "Local rail users are about to get a big double blow - forced into their cars on already congested local motorways once the trains are axed in December, then an increase in the Severn Crossing bridge tolls in January."

"The initial results illustrate exactly the devastating consequences of cutting back on train services - people just vote with their feet and jump into their cars. This is at the same time as all political parties agreeing that we have to tackle carbon emissions with urgency.

"If over 60 per cent of existing rail user using Severn Tunnel Junction staring driving to work we are potentially looking at many extra local car journeys - exactly what we're working to reduce."

Cllr. Phil Hobson who sits on Monmouthshire County Council's Climate Change working group said: "Improvements in public transport would naturally be one thing we will be looking at in the county to reduce our carbon emissions. For years we have been promised a new railway station at Magor - now we witness a third of local train services being axed. We're going backwards."

Mr. German will chair a public meeting hosted by Save Severn Tunnel Services (S.O.S.) on Wednesday this week at the Choir Hall, Mill Lane, Caldicot starting at 7.30pm.