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Sardine protest over trains
EXTRA carriages are to be brought onto the South Yorkshire rail network earlier than expected to increase capacity, the Government has decided.
But unhappy passengers on a route not covered by the announcement are sending tins of sardines to train company bosses to protest at "unacceptable" overcrowding.
Some 200 train carriages will be shared between the Northern Rail and TransPennine rail franchises - which cover many routes in South Yorkshire - and the Great Western franchise in the South West of England.
But East Midlands Trains, which runs services between Sheffield and London, and through the city between Liverpool and Norwich, was not covered by the announcement.
Passengers on the Liverpool to Norwich route, which also links Sheffield with Manch-ester and Nottingham, are crammed onto two-carriage trains despite the route being around 300 miles long.
At peak times, dozens of people have to stand and some are even left behind because trains cannot cope with demand. Trade unions and rail watchdogs have voiced concern about the service on health and safety grounds.
Users have set up a campaign group called TrainSardine calling for improvements - which has organised the fishy protest, members sending cans of sardines to East Midlands' management.
A spokesperson for the campaign - which is run through website www.trainsardine.org - said: "Passengers are sick of the poor service offered and the excuses we have been given over the past 12 months to explain the shortage of carriages and overcrowding."
The route used to have newer and longer three and four-carriage trains but these were transferred to other lines last year by the Government.
Extra carriages for Northern, TransPennine and Great Western will be bought with 300m of funding earmarked for future years but has been brought forward by Chancellor Alistair Darling in his Pre Budget Report.
Department for Transport officials anticipated the extra carriages would be available within "two to three years".
East Midlands Trains is spending millions refurbishing the old trains used on the Liverpool to Norwich route to provide more seats and has promised to put on more carriages at peak times.
But refurbishment means they are currently short of rolling stock.
A spokeswoman said: "We are aware that improvements need to be made and are taking steps to increase seating and increase carriages from two to four at the busiest times."
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Weather for Sheffield
Saturday 26 May 2012
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