MP's Parliamentary Question over rail delay

12.00.00am GMT Tue 8th Jan 2008

Colchester MP Bob Russell has demanded that the Secretary of State for Transport should give a statement on what action she has taken following the extensive delays which rail travellers experienced last week when Network Rail's work near London Liverpool Street was not finished on time.

Yesterday, on the first day that Parliament returned after the Christmas and New Year break, the town's Liberal Democrat MP tabled a Written Question to Transport Secretary Ruth Kelly in which he asked "what steps she has taken to ascertain the reasons for the delay in the completion of works to the railway infrastructure near London Liverpool Street Station over the Christmas and New Year Holiday period."

Mr Russell's Question is published this morning (Tuesday) in today's House of Commons Order Paper. He has requested that Mrs Kelly gives him a Written Answer this Thursday, the earliest date that a "named day" Question can be Answered.

Although he did not personally experience last week's problems, Mr Russell regularly uses the train to travel between Colchester and London when he is attending to his Parliamentary duties at the House of Commons.