Late-running, overcrowded and cancelled services in recent times have again angered regular local travellers and visitors to the area.
Dumfriesshire MP David Mundell, a long-time campaigner for better services from Lockerbie, secured a virtual meeting with TransPennine Express managing director Matthew Golton on Tuesday.
The local MP said afterwards: “I highlighted the level of anger amongst passengers and the disruptive impact that the company’s recent unreliable services were having on people’s lives.
“It can be particularly frustrating when passengers travel a distance to the station – in one example, from the town of Kirkcudbright, 40 miles away – only to arrive at the station to find their train had been cancelled at short notice.
“The current level of service is simply not acceptable. There was some improvement later last year but after the timetable change in December things have taken a turn for the worse.”
Mr Mundell stated that Mr Golton accepted the service from Lockerbie had not been up to standard and apologised to passengers.
The rail boss reiterated that various factors, such as the impact of covid illnesses, and, at weekends in particular, ongoing industrial action by conductors, members of the RMT Union, had affected services.
The politician pressed for urgent steps to be taken to improve performance and Mr Golton agreed to a further meeting in six weeks when he hoped to be able to report progress.
Furthermore, the MP confirmed last night that he intends raising constituents’ complaints about TransPennine services from Lockerbie with UK Rail Minister Wendy Morton.
