Member of Parliament Kate Kniveton has today (19th July 2023) convened a meeting in Westminster with senior representatives of East Midlands Railway (EMR) to ask for answers as to why Uttoxeter’s rail service has still not been reinstated to pre-pandemic levels of provision.
The local MP was joined by Stoke-on-Trent South MP, Jack Brereton, to ask the rail bosses what their plans were for the Crewe to Derby line that runs through the midlands and their two local areas.
Both Uttoxeter Town Council and Uttoxeter Racecourse have raised with Ms Kniveton how the infrequency of rail services are affecting the community and local businesses.
EMR Managing Director, Will Rogers, Stakeholder Manager, Laura Etheridge, and Timetable Planner, James Chapman, outlined to the local MPs what plans they had to increase the frequency of services both on weekdays and at weekends. The MPs and rail bosses also had discussions about the long-term strategic vision for the railway line and how it could be enhanced to be a more appealing travel option for those travelling between the East and West Midlands.
Commenting, Kate Kniveton MP said:
“Uttoxeter residents are continuing to receive a below-par rail service on the Crewe – Derby line. Whilst the pandemic is behind us, passenger numbers are only likely to grow on this railway line once reliability and frequency of the service is significantly improved, a point I have raised with the Department for Transport several times already.
“EMR must do more to reinstate services on this line as quickly as possible, but I am grateful to Will, Laura and James for meeting with myself and Jack Brereton MP today, to outline how they intend to rectify this issue and the hurdles they must overcome in the process to achieving it.
“I will continue to work with Jack and other parliamentary colleagues in the region to hold EMR to account and to call for further improvements to this service for the benefit of Uttoxeter residents and all those who use it.”
