Last updated at 20:18, Thursday, 18 March 2010

THE free shuttle train service from Maryport to Workington has been extended until the end of May.

Workington MP Tony Cunningham revealed last night that after discussions with the Department for Transport the service would continue for another month.

It would be monitored after that to see if it was still needed once Workington’s temporary road bridge is opened.

Mr Cunningham said: “If there seems to be a need, consideration will be given to extending it further. If not, it will be stopped.”

Mr Cunningham said that he had approached transport minister Sadiq Khan, who has visited the area since the floods, to express concern about what would happen if the popular service ended now.

He said: “The temporary bridge into Workington is due to be completed soon, but if everyone using the shuttle trains decides to go back to using their cars there will be chaos.

“The minister agrees and this week we have managed to arrange for the month’s extension so we can see what happens.”

Mr Cunningham said the services were costing the Government £10,000 per day to run.

On Tuesday night, at a meeting of the Maryport neighbourhood forum, the county council’s area highways engineer Andrew Butler expressed the same concern.

He said that until both permanent bridges in Workington were functioning there would be traffic problems.

Mr Butler said that negotiations were going on to try to retain the shuttle services until both bridges were open.

Yesterday county council staff had not received confirmation that the service was to be extended but said they would welcome it.

There has been a growing demand for the shuttle service to remain in place, and a recent survey of commuters by the Times & Star revealed many would continue to use such a service even after the bridges were up and open.

A Facebook group has been set up to campaign for permanent shuttle services and the retention of the temporary Workington North railway station.

First published at 19:36, Thursday, 18 March 2010
Published by http://www.timesandstar.co.uk