Emily Brothers, Labour’s Parliamentary Candidate for Isle of Wight East, has criticised the Conservatives’ broken promise to introduce a half-hourly service on Island Line between Ryde Pier and Shanklin. It was in 2019 that promises were made for a more punctual, reliable service with better connections to the ferry services. But since a major £26million investment in Island Line, the service has deteriorated. Speaking about the situation, Parliamentary Candidate Emily Brothers has said:
“The Tories fanfare in 2019 about investing £26M with refurbished rolling stock from London’s District Line together with track upgrades has come off the rails, resulting in less frequent and unreliable trains. “The trains will need to be replaced within seven years because the wheel rail interface was not included in the scope of previous works. The Tory response is to send Joe Robertson foraging around scrap metal yards to salvage their damaged reputation. “Spending £1M improving accessibility at Brading Station has proven futile without an effective passing loop which was designed to facilitate a half hourly service.”
As a regular user of local trains, Emily adds:
“We were promised half hourly services and even the possibility of trains every 20 minutes after the 2021 upgrade of Island Line, yet passengers are having to put up with infrequent and often cancelled trains. Only last week, I waited with other passengers at Sandown Station for a train that never turned up and no announcement was made. This is another example of Tory mismanagement, and it isn’t how Labour will run the railways. “The new 40 minute intervals are only temporary over the summer period. This sticking plaster approach falls short of what passengers deserve. This is an example of another Conservative failure to link the towns of the East Wight and ensure mainland connectivity. In some cases, passengers will now wait 47 minutes for their connection at Ryde Pier Head, which is unacceptable. On the other hand, passengers leaving the Hovercraft to catch a train from Ryde Esplanade often witness their next service leaving as they cross the bridge. It means passengers with luggage, disabled and older people are regularly left behind. It is woeful. “The Tories have hit the buffers on the Island Line. So, we need a rethink and as Labour MP for Isle of Wight East, I will seek to find a more effective, sustainable solution. We need to get our island moving and that certainly isn’t happening under this Tory chaos and mismanagement. We need to look at new solutions, not refurbished ideas, including exploring Very Light Rail or trams, such as the services that currently operate in Dudley and Manchester. The Island Line could be a testbed for running sustainable public transport powered by fast charging solar batteries. “I can’t guarantee funding because the Tories have crashed the economy and Labour will be fiscally responsible. As your MP though, I will press for a step change in the island’s public transport system, including developing the business case for modern sustainable Very Light Rail services. “Whilst the Conservatives are content to let Britain’s broken railways fail passengers, Labour will deliver root and branch reform. With our bold reforms, a publicly owned railway will be single-mindedly focused on delivering for passengers and will be held to account on delivering reliable, safe, efficient, accessible, affordable and quality services. This will include the Island Line. ““Labour’s detailed plans will get our railways back on track; driving up standards for passengers; bringing down costs for the island’s taxpayers; driving growth and getting Britain moving.”
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Island Line is part of South Western Railway (SWR) who during COVID conceded control to the Department For Transport (DfT) so they could be bailed out by the taxpayer.
– Don’t be fooled into blaming railway employees for the shortcomings of management (puppets) and politicians (puppet masters).
Whatever. She forgot labour were in charge doing the great crash 15 years ago.
But the Tories deregulated banking and caused the mess.
On the subject or crashes, Tony, I lived not too far away from Potters Bar. I remember “Signal 109”. How is it that every single “Privatisation” by the infamous “Milk Snatcher” has ended in tears? Your time is over, Tony. Been found out. Know when you’ve been Kwartangoed, and who to Truss in future. So thus, into oblivion. Parasitic self indulgence has no place in our society.
Doesn’t matter who gets in, all useless and clueless, they all only
care for themselves, they don’t give a damn about the people.
A decent MP would make sure Islanders don’t pay one of the
Highest Council taxes in the country.
Don’t pay the Highest Green waste charges in the country.
Don’t pay ridiculous extortionate Ferry fares and don’t pay
50p to have a P I S S
I am voting for NO one, the country would be in a better position without
any of them.
You forgot high parking charges,poor education uneeded road closures etc, you are correct makes no difference who’s in Government and all MPs are surpossed to be for the benefit of constituency whatever party. We need to ditch all of this and just have a government,not hundreds of over paid useless MPs that just meet and argue about the opposite parties.If Labour gets in? Four year time we will be complaining and vote another party in, four year’s later again. Why can’t all parties unite and work together for everyone benefit,instead of selected few !
Greed. Just look at the characters we have had to tolerate for the last fourteen years.
So you propose doing nothing at all to change things? Submissive in extreme? You actually are prepared to subscribe to and endure everything you have just moaned about! Attitude problem won’t solve anything…
Nothing will change, Labour will finish off this country, that is why
Fishi called the Election early he’s had enough and doesn’t want to
enforce what his WEF Leaders want him too, Bojo was the same,
that’s why he went.
Put a line across all candidates and post in ballot box – then you will have made your point!
I understand how you feel, but getting the universal vote was so hard, I will always have a go, out of respect for the people who enabled all to vote.
what is the point of a train every 30 min i see it go past my house quite often there’s only two people on it ones a driver ones a guard
Open your eyes you silly women
You do know she’s blind, don’t you?
Oh dear, you’ve just educated yourself in public again
And so has angela rayner literally begging for muslim votes!
vote for labour is a vote for islam
you need a lobotomy to vote tory
we are all doomed either way!
Then vote for Reform
What worries me is that they are also run by The WEF
100% spot on, at last someone has their eyes open,,
She wants another Council House
Emily who? Its easy to make no mistakes when you’ve done nothing. Labour did nothing for the island when they were in power? The tories have not only rebuilt the railway but nearly every secondary school on the island. Yes the railway has issues. The last Labour government could have fixed them. Did it? No! Instead it left us with a 6.9% deficit. Which we spent the next 5 years fixing.
I don’t know what lens you’re looking through regarding Tory management of the nation’s fabric but I really think you ought to change your name to Deranged mouse.
In God We Truss. Enjoy your high ferry charges, extortionate mortgage, third world failing education system. The repairs you fork out on your cars tyres, wheels and suspenion. The children going hungry. Salute you billionaire “man of the people” champion. The rat trap beckons for you, Dangermouse!
At last a truthful picture of the left: eyes shut to the world around them. Perfect.
This newcomer to the Island needs to get her facts straight. Since when did the Conservatives ‘run railways’
Conservatives couldn’t run a bath, yet alone a train.
And you my friend should put up or shut up
“I can’t guarantee funding says this individual. – in other words not ever going to change a thing.
I won’t be voting for someone who spends most of their time trying to hold back the natural male biological state with drugs and surgery.
Fathered 2 children then after a number of years decided to call himself a female. Even went to Thailand to have the op. Face the facts born a Boy grow into a Man, born a Girl grow into a Woman. Sex is decided at conception not in a back street surgery.
The human body has over 30 trillion cells in it, each encoded with either male or female chromosomes.
No amount of drugs and surgery will change that, not now, not ever.
Usual blame the party in government. The train operator is a private company.
All this is ok but with the state of the ferries a traveller can still be stuck for hour plus. Get fixed link
It means passengers with luggage, disabled and older people are regularly left behind. It is woeful.
utter drivel – it is not like it is the last train for a week – you simply take a seat and get the next one, without acting like some self entitled p rick
I use the island train a lot and like many others don’t have any problems with the service. She needs to brush up on her facts before pointing the finger at others.
My understanding is the other versions of the Vivarail “D-trains” (refurbished London Underground D78 stock) have also had issues. Vivarail (now in administration) has been over optimistic in what can be achieved with these refurbished units, despite involvement of rail industry expertise (and I don’t believe this has been deliberate mis-selling). . Just goes to show how hard it is to develop reliable trains
The wheelset issue is a clear miss in the scope, which again shows how hard it is to get rolling stock contracts right, and I expect neither side thought it would be a problem.
20-20 hindsight, should have completely replaced with overhead electric / battery hybrid light rail solution but 10 times the price.
” A regular user of Island train”
If they are not providing any sort of service how come and why are you still a regular user?