LONDON LIB DEMS LAUNCH RAIL PASSENGER SURVEY

12.01.00am GMT Mon 5th Jan 2004

Later today (Monday 5th January 2004) the Liberal Democrat Mayoral candidate Simon Hughes MP and vice chair of the London Assembly Transport Committee Lynne Featherstone will launch a comprehensive survey of the Capital's commuters and the state of suburban railway services. The survey will cover 20 of London's boroughs and will question at least 20,000 people.

Liberal Democrat London Mayoral candidate Simon Hughes MP said:-

"London's railway system causes misery to millions of passengers every week. Delays, overcrowding and cancellations are all part of the day-to-day hassles that rail users have to face.

"This is the first London wide survey of the railways of 2004 and is likely to reveal deep dissatisfaction amongst commuters over the Government's handling of the rail network. It will also assess whether Londoners think Ken Livingstone has improved services or failed to deliver.

"This new survey is the start of a major campaign to stand up for London's hard pressed commuters.

Lynne Featherstone, Chair of GLA Transport Scrutiny Committee, said,

"Thanks to years of under investment by the Tories and Labour, London's crippled rail system lurches daily from crisis to crisis. London commuters stoically put up with the misery of late, cancelled and overcrowded trains, but they deserve better than this.

"Every day London's train passengers are faced with a grim picture of run down stations, hefty fares and long delays. This survey sets out to see if anything under this Government or this Mayor has improved in the eyes of the passenger."

ENDS.

Notes to Editors:

The rail survey will be the first stage of a London wide campaign from the London Liberal Democrats, involving MPs, GLA members, MEP and Lib Dem activists.

Mr Hughes will be visiting the following stations over the next week:

Highbury and Islington station on Monday 5th January 2004 - 7.30am - 9am

Orpington Station on Wednesday 7th January 2004 7.30am - 9am

A copy of the survey is available on request