After being approached by constituents about the recent spate of cancellations by train operator London Midland, Mark Garnier, MP for Wyre Forest, raised the issue in the House of Commons.
Questioning the Leader of House, Mark asked about the poor performance of London Midland trains, particularly in the west midlands, where their performance continues to be absolutely atrocious and habitually underperforming, and whether the Transport Secretary would make a statement on how that pitiful situation can be resolved.
The Rt Hon. Andrew Lansley replied that they were aware of London Midland experiencing a high level of cancellations for about two months but they were not yet technically in breach of their obligations. If improvements are not seen in very short order, the Department for Transport will need to consider taking action against the train operator.
London Midland has said that the service cancellations have been caused by driver shortages. Approximately 350 services have been affected in the past three weeks. A daily update of affected services is available on the London Midland website.
Mark said, "I am deeply concerned by the recent chronically poor performance of London Midland, and will keep a close eye on this situation as it develops. It is not fair that my constituents' lives are disrupted as a result of poor planning by London Midland. It is simply unacceptable."