Last updated 11:27, Tuesday, 25 November 2008

Cancellations, delays, spiralling ticket prices and engineering works that continue far longer than forecast.

Now, as if our legendary train services weren’t bad enough, it seems Cumbria will suffer further following a major overhaul of the West Coast Main Line.

The fastest services between Carlisle and London are set to be trimmed by 49 minutes, and Virgin Trains are hailing the development as a huge step forward.

But for many Cumbrians it will be more like stepping back in time.

Penrith and Oxenholme are just two of the stations to be cut out of the new, high speed routes.

Virgin Trains say the changes will benefit the majority of Cumbrian rail users.

Majority seems to be the operative word here. Because for people who live in and around Penrith, any added journey time to Carlisle in order to catch a train will hardly be cause for celebration.

And people in West Cumbria, who currently drive along the A66 and park at Penrith before boarding a train there, also face a much longer journey if in future their train stops only at Carlisle and then speeds non-stop through Cumbria.

These changes are also coinciding with a big rise in train fares nationally.

At a time when we are being encouraged to ditch the car and use public transport instead, these ‘improvements’ beggar belief.