De-icing trains sent for service during big freeze
Two de-icing trains crucial to keeping the rail network running were sent for their annual service at the height of the big freeze, an MP said today.
Greg Clark, Tory MP for Tunbridge Wells, criticised the "farcical" move, saying he was "flabbergasted" that the Network Rail trains went for maintenance at the end of last month rather than summer, and so were out of action during last week's heavy snow and sub-zero temperatures.
The disclosure was made to Mr Clark and other Kent MPs during a meeting with Charles Horton, managing director of rail operator Southeastern.
Network Rail said in response that it had brought in extra resources from other parts of the network which were not affected by the severe weather.
The meeting with MPs at the Commons followed strong criticism of how Southeastern dealt with the cold snap. The operator has been accused by union leaders of being "caught out", with its services collapsing into "total chaos".
Mr Clark said today: "Southeastern has let down its customers by failing to run trains and by failing to communicate with the public." A Network Rail spokesman said: "During last week's winter weather in Kent, we brought in extra resources from other parts of the network which were not affected.
"These more modern locomotives were able to do much more than the piece of kit that was being upgraded.
"We apologise to passengers who faced disruption last week and pay tribute to the Network Rail people and train operator staff who worked 24 hours a day in Arctic conditions to enable the best possible train service to run."
City rail commuters, meanwhile, have been promised easier peak-time journeys from Monday, with 6,800 more seats provided on First Capital Connect key routes, among the most overcrowded in the country.
London TravelWatch said extra capacity was "welcome and desperately needed". The extra seats will be added to morning and evening peak-hour services along the Great Northern route from Peterborough, Cambridge and Welwyn Garden City into Moorgate and King's Cross.
There will be 41 extra carriages which, coupled with Network Rail upgrade work to lengthen platforms and improve tracks and signals, will create 13 per cent extra capacity.
