12:08pm Monday 14th May 2007
By Tom Parkes
Cash from rail fare hikes should be spent on extra carriages to ease overcrowding for commuters, according to the shadow transport secretary.
Conservative Chris Grayling said packed trains were "an absolutely critical issue" with the town's population set to soar in the next decade.
And he called for more services to Colchester Town and Hythe stations, to help beat road congestion.
Mr Grayling was in Colchester to meet rail chiefs at North Station on Friday, and was briefed on transport issues by Tories at the town hall.
He told the Gazette: "Overcrowding on rush-hour services is already a big problem and looking at housing development planned in the next seven years, we have got to deliver extra capacity. We need longer trains and longer platforms.
"The money is there to do it because the Government is getting billions of pounds extra back from train companies, paid for by higher fares. That money should be used for investment."
Derek Monnery, chairman of the Essex Rail Users' Federation, said Mr Grayling was right to call for cash from train fare hikes to go towards service improvements.
He added: "I'm still slightly sceptical about Mr Grayling's comments - because the Conservatives wrecked the railways in the first place!"
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