16/10/07 - Rail Link Is Important Part of Transport Network

The Conservative candidate for Romsey at the next election, Caroline Nokes, has joined many local residents protesting at SW Trains decision to axe the Rail Link Service between Romsey and Winchester from December.

Caroline said:

"Although the X66 service will remain, it does not meet the requirements of the many commuters who use the Rail Link, and the reality is that roughly half the buses will be lost.

"It is a useful and popular service running through my Council ward, and the impact will be to force more cars onto the road, either to use Romsey Station where the parking is inadequate, to link to trains from Southampton to Waterloo, or to drive up to Winchester Station, using the already congested A3090 at peak times.

"Rail Link between Romsey and Winchester is an important part of the local public transport network, and losing it is not going to help the transport infrastructure in this part of Hampshire at all. At a time when we are trying to find alternatives to the car this is simply going to add to congestion, not reduce it."