Dan Rogerson MP for North Cornwall

The 'South West Team' of Liberal Democrat MPs met this week with top officials at the Strategic Rail Authority to discuss the new Greater Western Franchise, which will come into effect in April 2006.

The MPs pressed SRA bosses hard on their plans for the Paddington to Penzance sleeper service ahead of a Commons debate to be led by Julia Goldsworthy, MP for Falmouth and Camborne.

The Liberal Democrats also reminded Roger Jones, Director of Franchise Specification and Planning of safety recommendations made by public inquiries as far back as the Clapham Junction rail disaster, 17 years ago.

Speaking after the meeting, Teignbridge MP, Richard Younger-Ross, said, "The Clapham Junction inquiry was clear that current lighting arrangements on trains are inadequate, yet nearly twenty years later, vital changes have still to be made."

"Furthermore, we know the use of laminated glass in the windows of our ancient rolling stock could have saved lives in past disasters. Still, everyday, my constituents are travelling on trains in which the window glass can shatter, allowing passengers to be thrown from the train."

Adrian Sanders, MP for Torbay, added, "There has been a loss of life on Great Western Trains twice in the last decade. It is time we got proper, up-to-date rolling stock. We all know and acknowledge that train travel is many times safer than road travel: but the rail industry cannot hide behind its relative safety to justify omitting measures which could save lives."

The Liberal Democrat group were keen, too, to support branch lines from St Erth ? St Ives, Liskeard ? Looe, and Plymouth ? Gunnislake, which have been selected for pilot 'Community Rail Strategy' designation, and the lines between Truro ? Falmouth, Par ? Newquay and Exeter ? Barnstaple, for which a similar status is being considered.

Andrew George, MP for West Cornwall constituency of St Ives and the Isles of Scilly, commented "Local communities know the true value of their branch lines and we welcome proposals to harness their enthusiasm and commitment into the longer term promotion of the service. But the Government must understand that these are spines running through our communities. We will be closely monitoring to ensure that changes in the management do not threaten the viability of these vital links."