Kettering-Corby rail link must continue northbound service, say Lib Dems, in call to prevent cuts to rail services

7.00.00pm UTC (GMT +0000) Wed 12th Dec 2007

Liberal Democrats are opposed to proposed cuts in train services at Kettering station

Plans to extend train services to Corby must not reduce the number of northbound trains, Liberal Democrats will say at a meeting of Kettering Borough Council.

The call will come at a meeting on Wednesday 12th December, where councillors will consider how to respond to a proposed timetable that halves northbound services from Kettering to make room for an hourly service between London and Corby.

Liberal Democrat campaigner Chris Nelson will say, "It is very disappointing that there are plans to cut northbound services from North Northamptonshire at the same time as plans to foist tens of thousands of new homes upon us. We need improvements, not cutbacks.

"The fact that Corby is to get a direct link to London is long overdue. But it is nonsensical that doing this should deprive us of one of our half-hourly northbound services when there are perfectly usable links that would let Corby services either link back to Leicester or carry on through to Oakham and to Peterborough.

"Lib Dems in Kettering and Corby have long pressed for a reinstatement of the vital links that were lost in the days of Beeching. If we cannot maintain our existing service, we should press the Government to reopen these lines and in doing so maintain our northbound services."

ENDS