South West Devon’s new MP, Rebecca Smith delivered her maiden speech in the House of Commons on Tuesday 3rd September.
Paying tribute to mentor and former MP for South WestDevon, Sir Gary Streeter, and the female MPs of Plymouth before her, Rebecca thanked Sir Gary for his thirty-two years of devoted service to constituents and pledged to pick up where Sir Gary left off, in campaigning for vital transport and infrastructure improvements to benefit South West Devon and the far south west.
Speaking during the debate of the Passenger Railway Services (Public Ownership) Bill, Rebecca set out her transport agenda for the region:
“I will be campaigning, alongside cross-party colleagues, to see the new government commit to completing the remedial works at Dawlish. They must also ensure that forthcoming HS2 works at Old Oak Common in London, do not hamper the welcome progress made in improving our journey times from London to the south west.”
“I will continue to fight for CrossCountry trains to call at Ivybridge station, not just services provided by Great Western Railway. As the population of Ivybridge and nearby Sherford grows, having adequate access to mainline train services closer than Plymouth, Totnes or indeed, Tiverton Parkway is essential.”
She added:
“Our railway system needs to drive forward into the middle of the twenty first century, not creep backwards to the 1970s. In the case of South West Devon, the difference between reaching our full potential or missing the mark.
“The mainline through Devon and Cornwall does not just take holiday-makers to our beautiful counties. It is vital lifeline for those who live and work there.”
Challenging the Labour Government to prove their commitment to the region, Rebecca stressed the importance of delivering on published plans for a metro railway line in Plymouth, including a stop in Plympton:
“If we truly want to see the economic benefits of the Plymouth and South Devon Freeport, with its key sites at Langage Business Park and the new town of Sherford, we must see the delivery of a metro railway line linking Plymouth with Tavistock and Ivybridge, including a stop in Plympton. It would also enhance connectivity for the Dartmoor villages, now a key part of South West Devon, following the recent parliamentary boundary changes.
“The previous government’s plans to re-open the line between Plymouth and Tavistock, are critical to delivering this metro service. I call on the new government to push forward with this proposal and enable us to get this metro scheme off the ground.”
In summary, Rebecca asks that the Labour Government remain focussed on completing the Dawlish line resilience works, take steps to mitigate against any HS2 work that might compromise journey times for the south west, and work with her to encourage franchisees to stop at Ivybridge station, and commit to new transport solutions between Tavistock and Plymouth.
Rebecca intends to scrutinise the government’s actions closely over the parliamentary term, to ensure that adequate focus is placed on connecting communities, and not just on rail ownership and urban conurbations.
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