Theresa Villiers welcomes high speed rail report

Network Rail has today published research that shows the massive potential benefits that high speed rail could deliver.

"As the Party that has championed high speed rail", Theresa Villiers, Shadow Secretary of State for Transport, said, "we welcome Network Rail's report".

She added that it "provides further evidence that we need to take high speed rail to the north. Unlike Labour, our high speed rail ambitions go north of Birmingham and we call on the Government to match our commitment".

Villiers said the report also highlighted the potential high speed rail has for picking up some of the journeys that would otherwise be taken by air. She stressed the "importance of linking up Heathrow to the new network, if we are to encourage people to make greener transport choices".

Brown must come clean about cost of rail electrification

Theresa Villiers has welcomed the news that the Great Western Main Line and part of the West Coast Main Line will be electrified - but she said that Gordon Brown is “living in a fantasy land” if he thinks it can come at no cost to the taxpayer.

The Shadow Transport Secretary stressed further electrification of our railways is “an important way to improve efficiency and reduce carbon emissions from transport”.

But she asked, “After Lord Mandelson announced cuts to the transport budget, how can we believe that Labour can announce £1.1 billion of new spending without impacting on existing transport commitments or putting further strain on public finances already stretched to breaking point?”

And she called on Gordon Brown to “come clean about what current transport schemes could now face cuts to pay for today's announcement.”

Villiers warns "cowboy clampers" are menace to drivers

Theresa Villiers has accused Labour of taking "far too long" to address the problem of cowboy clampers.

A new report from the RAC Foundation concludes that clamping on private land could breach motorists' human rights.

Theresa, the Shadow Transport Secretary, stressed, "Cowboy clampers are a menace to drivers. It is high time we had effective measures to crack down on abusive operators who make extortionate demands for releasing cars from clamps."

She said the fact that the legal status of these private clampers is now in doubt is "another urgent reason" to address the problem.

Theresa Villiers has set out plans to provide millions of rural dwellers left stranded by cuts to bus services with a subsidised 'dial-a-taxi' schem

Theresa Villiers has set out plans to provide millions of rural dwellers left stranded by cuts to bus services with a subsidised 'dial-a-taxi' scheme.

The taxis will operate in a 'round-robin' system, picking up people who are all heading roughly in the same direction – and the service will cost users no more than the price of a bus or local train ticket.

Theresa, the Shadow Transport Secretary, pledged £7million of funding - £1million a year for seven years - to run a pilot scheme. It will be funded using the Department of Transport's Transport Innovation Fund and by scrapping Labour's controversial emphasis on congestion-charging schemes.

Theresa stressed, “People living in the countryside deserve more reliable, affordable, and convenient public transport.”

“Labour has been too quick to ignore the needs of rural areas but Conservatives realise that with the decline of shops, post offices, and services in small villages, this issue has never been more important.”