The Green Party has today urged politicians to support Caroline Lucas’ bill to take the railways back into public ownership following a report released by the Department of Transport (DfT). Figures show that, at peak times, some services were up to 111 percent over their capacity with broader results showing that one in five passengers travelling through London during the morning peak services were having to stand.
Responding to the latest figures, Rupert Read, Green Party Transport spokesperson, said: "These figures are a wake-up call. It is absurd that our travelling public are being crammed into trains that are over double their capacity. Passengers should not have to put up with these kinds of conditions when prices continue to rocket. It's clear that the current privatised model for running our network is not delivering the investment and improvements the travelling public need and deserve.
"The Green Party believes that mass transport ought to be a joined-up public service, not turned into a source of profit. The railways ought to be run to serve the common good, and the only way to do this is to take the railways back into public ownership. This is a view that is overwhelmingly popular with the public and one that the Green Party has long been committed to.
"There is a way to bring an end to these horrendously over-crowded journeys. We're calling on all politicians to get behind Caroline Lucas' bill to bring the railways back into public ownership. The second reading of that bill is due to come before the House of Commons next month. I hope that the Chamber of the House of Commons will be overcrowded that day, with MPs vying to do as their constituents wish, and start the process of taking the railways back into public hands."
