Fen rail line has never been worse, say passengers
Clare Worden/BBCA railway passenger group is calling for urgent improvements to train services connecting Norfolk and Cambridgeshire after recording a steep rise in the number of cancellations.
Great Northern, which runs services between King's Lynn and Cambridge, says the hot, dry summer has been a major factor, with failing air conditioning systems on trains and damaged tracks.
The Fen Line Users Association (FLUA), which monitors disruption on the cross-county line, found that in July 380 services were cancelled - up from 177 in June.
A spokesperson for Great Northern admitted the service had fallen well below the standard customers "rightly expect".
Clare Worden/BBCFLUA secretary, Mark Collins, said the disruption was being caused by a mixture of problems with the track, signal failures and faulty train carriages.
"There was a time in the past where you could almost set your watch by the trains on this line, but sadly that's not the case anymore," he said.
"Of course, the lines are much more congested than they used to be but what we really need is a service we can rely upon."
Commuter Jim Ring said rail bosses should be "ashamed".
"I've been using this line since it was electrified in 1992, and it has never been worse," he said.
"It's a national disgrace and it is a regional disgrace."
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A new organisation called Great British Railways Anglia (GBR Anglia) - comprising Network Rail and train operating companies Great Anglia and C2C - has been established to try and improve services.
But Great Northern, which runs trains on the Fen Line, is not part of that group because it operates beyond the East of England.
However, GBR Anglia said the organisations would be working together to make improvements.
A Great Northern spokesperson said: "The number of cancellations has fallen 6% over the past four weeks.
"Much more work needs to be done and we are committed to doing better."
Martin Beable, chief operating officer of GBR Anglia, said: "I am sorry our customers have not had a good experience lately travelling along the Fen Line.
"We're prioritising infrastructure improvements, including signalling upgrades and essential maintenance to tracks, overhead line equipment and structures between Royston and King's Lynn, while introducing a timetable to manage the effects of the long hot dry summer which has caused the peat under the tracks to shrink."
Clare Worden/BBCThe Conservative MP for North West Norfolk, James Wild, has held a meeting with both Great Northern and GBR Anglia.
"Clearly the hot weather is causing real challenges on the line but it is vital the steps being taking to improve reliability of the trains and the tracks are effective," he said.
The Department for Transport said passengers were experiencing an "unacceptable level of disruption" and that the companies responsible would be held to account as they work to make improvements.
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