MP's call to tackle train overcrowding

Amanda Milling, MP for Cannock Chase, says she has been flooded by complaints from people concerned about overcrowded carriages, a shortage of seats and a lack of carriages since she was elected in May 2016.

She has now raised the issue with the Secretary of State for Transport and the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Transport.

Various factors have been attributed to the impact on the service by Mrs Milling, including a high volume of Amazon workers starting and ending shifts at the same time, a shortage of diesel engines and reported breakdowns.

She said: "While I know that the electrification of the Chase Line will help to address the overcrowding issues in the long-term, the short term needs to be dealt with, and quickly.

"It is completely unacceptable that commuters are being crammed in like sardines.

"In some cases people have told me how they have been late for work because they couldn't get on carriages.

"London Midland needs to take urgent action.

"I also call on Amazon to work with train operators to look at staggering the impact that their shift patterns have on the line."

Miss Milling is calling on Amazon to help address the issue and is asking them to look at staggering shifts in order to avoid trains being completely filled by workers.

She has also called on Cannock's Labour political leadership to join her.

She said: "The Labour leadership on Cannock Chase Council need to join me in trying to address the short-term issues faced by commuters because they cannot turn a blind eye to the matter, they have been too silent for too long about this serious problem."

Network Rail has recently confirmed the £76 million electrification of the Chase Line between Walsall and Rugeley will be completed, quashing fears the project would be put on hold.

The rail operator has included the scheme in its recently published five-year funding programme.