Thousands of Tatton residents support Virgin's plea over West Coast axe (From Knutsford Guardian)
Send us news by text, start your message Knutsford News and your send photos and videos to 80360
Thousands of Tatton residents support Virgin's plea over West Coast axe
7:00pm Thursday 13th September 2012 in News
RESIDENTS in Tatton have topped the list of most signatures in a petition set up by a passenger in a battle to reverse a goverment decision over the future of the West Coast mainline.
More than 4,000 people in Chancellor George Osborne's constituency signed the petition to demand action after Virgin Trains was stripped of the West Coast route.
Fellow Cheshire residents are urging their MPs to support a debate demanding a review of the decision by the Department for Transport.
Now Rosie Cooper, MP for West Lancashire, has secured a three-and-a-half hour Backbench debate on the subject, which will take place in the House of Commons at 4.30pm on Monday, September 17.
Dozens of MPs from across the West Coast network are lining up to protest over the decision.
Since its launch, by regular Virgin Trains’ passenger Ross McKillop last month, the Downing Street e-petition has attracted more than 172,000 signatures.
The debate in the House of Commons comes just seven days after Virgin Group founder Sir Richard Branson expressed his concern over the level of financial risk attached to the rival First Group bid when he appeared before the influential Commons Transport Select Committee.
The e-petition can be accessed at http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/37180
