As a daily commuter to Parliament, the state of our railway personally impacts me as well so I want to assure constituents that I not only understand but I experience it too and have done so for the last fifteen years as a season-ticket holder. I spend a huge amount of my Parliamentary time in rail inquiries, meeting with those with influence and responsibility, speaking up for commuters in the House of Commons chamber and in taking other action in Parliament to put pressure on those responsible to give constituents the service which they pay for. My national role on the Transport Select Committee allows me to get to the heart of this matter and challenge those responsible in public and recorded proceedings. Our committee is in the midst of five separate inquiries on rail. Constituents can be assured that, at evidence sessions with Government Ministers, Southern Rail managers and rail union leaders, I champion the cause of improved Southern Rail performance at every turn.
I am also working with local MPs, Councillors, rail user groups and Network Rail to deliver direct trains from Bexhill to London St Pancras (via Ashford) within a journey time of just 78 minutes. I will work with our partners to deliver the business case and lobby to turn this into reality. The impact on our community, from increased investment, jobs and tourists, would be vast and would link us to our capital and beyond
