The Isle of Wight council have this morning (Monday) made public their official response to the Department for Transport (DfT) public consultation on the south western train franchise.
There has been growing concern over the last six months for the future of Island Line which is part of the franchise.
The letter from Isle of Wight council CEO, CEO John Metcalfe reiterates the council’s view that Island Line should remain as “a fully integral part of the South Western rail franchise for the entire duration of its post-2017 period”.
The devolution factor
Attention is also drawn to the Council’s September 2015 response to HM Treasury in relation to the government’s spending review which stated,
“A key part of the discussions on a possible devolution deal has been to enhance the Island’s connectivity to the mainland so that our businesses and residents take advantage of the opportunities available there.
“Of great concern in this regard is in securing the future of the local train service – Island Line which connects a significant proportion of the Island’s population to ferry and hovercraft services.
“Our understanding is that this service requires significant capital investment to secure its ongoing provision and we seek Government’s support to ensure Network Rail has sufficient funds to apply to this vital local service.”
The Garnett report
A copy Christopher Garnett’s report on the future options for Island Line has also been sent to the DfT.
Mr Metcalfe explained the Council is yet to formally consider the report (taking place in March) so sent just for information.
The letter
To see a larger version of the letter click on the full screen icon.
