Farron calls for Furness Line upgrade

South Lakes MP Tim Farron has written to the Government and the Office of Rail Regulation to ask them to ride the Furness line and agree to upgrade the route.

Recently after much lobbying and working with the Lakes Line Users Group, Tim secured agreement to conduct a feasibility study to plan the electrification of the Lakes Line. The campaign took twelve months and the project will cost an estimated £16 million. Tim is now working with the Furness Line Action Group, to improve that line too.

The Furness line goes through many communities in our area, such as Silverdale, Arnside, Grange, Kent's Bank, Cark and then on to Ulverston and Barrow.

Tim, at the request of the Furness Line Action Group, has invited the Office of the Rail Regulator to South Cumbria to travel the route and see the need to improve services. The Office of Rail Regulation (ORR) is the independent safety and economic regulator for Britain's railways. The ORR advise the Government on the railways and help suggest improvements for the network.

Tim said: "I want to build on our success with the Lakes Line and try and improve the Furness Line too. We need to protect the through trains to Manchester and work to increase capacity on the line. I will keep working with FLAG and campaigners to do all we can to improve the line."