Echo, 16th December 2005 by Jamie Forsyth

QUOTE

c2c passengers give company's decision a standing ovation

Two more trains are to return to the Shoebury to Fenchurch Street rail line by the end of the month in a n effort to relieve the plight of frustrated passengers.

The line, run by c2c, lent five trains to neighbouring carrier ONE which is owned by the same parent company - in May 2004 after ONE had lent some of their rolling stock to the Chiltern line, which runs from London Marylebone Station.*

Three trains were returned to the line in September.

Plans are on schedule to return the remaining two to c2c by the start of 2006.

Peter Slattery, joint chairman of Southend Rail Users' Association, said: "We've been waiting for them for a long time.

"Passengers feel they shouldn't have gone in the first place.

"We are still suffering shorter trains and overcrowding in carriages, so the sooner they come back the better."

Kenneth Campbell, of the Parkway, Canvey, who travels from Benfleet to Fenchurch Street every morning, echoed his support, saying;" The situation has been better recently, as they have been laying on extra trains, but sometimes we still have to stand.

"The extra carriages will be an absolute godsend."

MP for castle Point, Bob Spink, raised the issue in the House of Commons this week.

He demanded a statement from transport secretary Derek Twigg with reference to the comfort of passengers boarding trains at Benfleet.

Mr Twigg responded; "Three units returned to service in September;"

"This allowed capacity increases on three morning & three evening peak services all of which called at Benfleet.

"The other two units are due to return to c2c by the end of the month."

Dr Spink said the return of the trains was paramount for south Essex commuters.

He said: "People using that line pay a massive amount of money for their fares and are still having to stand.

"That is not acceptable.

"These trains should have been returned in the autumn."

UNQUOTE

* Webmasters comment: this is in fact incorrect, ONE lent trains to Silverlink which runs trains out of Euston to Birmingham.....