THE newly elected MP for North Cornwall has secured a meeting to discuss the future of public transport in the area with the new Transport Secretary.

At the most recent debate in the House of Commons, Liberal Democrat MP for North Cornwall Ben Maguire secured a meeting with the government’s Transport Secretary Louise Haigh to discuss improving public transport in communities across the north and east of the Duchy.

These improvements include rail services to North Cornwall – as well as improvements to the A39, A30 and local bus services.

Mr Maguire was speaking during a debate on Monday evening (July 29) to ask about how the government’s plans to reform the railway system would benefit his North Cornwall constituency, which doesn’t contain any mainline railway stations, as Bodmin Parkway and St Columb Road stations lie just outside the constituency boundaries.

Mr Maguire asked Secretary of State for Transport Louise Haigh what plans she had to reintroduce railway services to the area or to bring them closer to towns like Bude, Bodmin, Launceston and Wadebridge.

In response, Louise Haigh offered to meet to discuss improving public transport in North Cornwall – an offer Ben Maguire says he will use to discuss proposals for a Camelford bypass on the A39, safety improvements on the A30 Plusha junction and improving local bus services.

Speaking after the railways debate, MrMaguire said: “Improving our roads and making it easier for people to access reliable bus and train services came up time and time again in the recent election. That’s why I wanted to raise this as soon as I could in Parliament as our community’s new MP.

“The government need to make sure that despite the gloomy forecast about the state of the public finances, people in North Cornwall see improvements to our sparse public transport network. It is all well and good setting out plans to try and improve the railway system but most communities I represent aren’t served by a railway station which is why I want to press the Transport Secretary about what her plans are to commit to long-term plans to reintroduce railway services to North Cornwall.

“I’ll also be pushing for action to improve safety at the A30 Plusha junction following a string of serious accidents, to explore options for a Camelford bypass scheme on the A39 and to see how we can work together to improve local bus services across rural North Cornwall.”