This in from Isle of Wight Conservative MP, Andrew Turner‘s office, in their own words. Ed
Andrew Turner has welcomed the report by Christopher Garnett OBE on the options for the future of Island Line which was published by the Isle of Wight Council today.
The Island’s MP said:
“Mr Garnett has considered the issues carefully, set them out concisely and clearly and reached sensible conclusions. The only feasible replacement rolling stock will not become available until ‘at least’ 2027.
“So even if, at great expense, the current trains could be kept running until then, it’s clearly sensible to look for other, more sustainable alternatives. The Government is committed to retaining the service, and conversion to a light rail or tram system with much lower running costs, seems the most sensible way forward. As Mr Garnett points out a tram service would also have the potential to be extended in the future.
“Most people are not concerned about whether Island Line is inside or outside of the South West franchise – they simply want the best possible service and for the service to carry on into the future. We need to access the substantial funds available for capital infrastructure projects to reduce the amount of subsidy the service needs. We need to work together to make sure that Island Line has an exciting future.
“The first step is clearly a thorough condition survey of the track, to clarify what the future costs would be. I will be pushing the Government to take this forward as soon as possible.”
See more on the Garnett Report.
