Mark is to meet the new UK Secretary of State for Transport, Lord Adonis, to raise his concerns about both the future of the line, and the standard of service given to passengers. His move comes as there are reports that the current operator, National Express, is seeking to renegotiate or terminate the existing franchise.

He set out his detailed concerns in a letter to the Secretary of State for Transport which you can read here.

As the East Coast Main Line serves both Scotland and England, it is the UK government which has the ultimate power to make decisions about the future of the line. He will be raising complaints from constituents about services, as well as the long-term future of the line.

Mark said:
"These problems are not the fault of staff who are doing their best to cope in sometimes difficult circumstances. Rather they stem, in my view, from the way our railways are run and financed.

"In bidding for the franchise, National Express knowingly took a commercial risk and should not be able to just 'walk away' now, but if the franchise is handed back, the East Coast line should be run by Network Rail not put out to tender again.

"The separation of track from train operators under privatisation has not been a success. We need a unified rail system run in an open and accountable way which puts the public before profit."

Mark is a regular user of the East Coast Main Line himself and has experienced some of the problems at first hand. He is also keen to hear from any of his constituents who have had problems or who have concerns about the East Coast Main Line. You can let him know your views  by email at mark@marklazarowicz.org.uk
or by writing to the constituency office at 5 Croall Place, Edinburgh EH7 4LT.

For a report in the Guardian which sets out the main issues, click here.