MP's budget day briefing with c2c

TRAIN operating company c2c is taking its message to Parliament tomorrow (Wednesday 7 March) in a full day of briefing MPs about progress with its multi-million pound investment on the Essex route.

Some individual face-to-face meetings have already taken place with MPs and members of c2c's top team to discuss a variety of issues from new trains to station improvements.

Three MPs on the route have stood up in Parliament to discuss c2c services in the last month, so interest in developments is high among local politicians, says the company's Director and General Manager Andrew Chivers.

He added: "There is a lot happening with c2c over a very concentrated two year period as our £450 million investment in the route totally transforms it after decades of neglect, so it is only natural that people focus on these big step changes.

"And as politicians are discussing all sorts of local issues, including progress on c2c, in the run-up to the General Election, we thought it was only fair that we try and equip them with as much information about our plans as possible.

"We have held meetings in the House of Commons before and invited all 15 of the MPs whose constituencies are on our route. But they have not all been able to attend, and sometimes the turn-out was poor as the meeting clashed with others they were attending, or committees in the House.

"We had already organised the day before the Chancellor announced the Budget date, but from our point of view it's an unexpected bonus as all the MPs will be in the House, so no-one will have an excuse for missing us."

In the special meeting room set aside for the MP briefings, members of the c2c executive, covering everything from contracts for new trains to daily operational matters and from front-line ticket office issues to long-term strategic planning, will be on hand to brief the politicians and answer their questions.

Dossiers on c2c's investment progress and future plans, which the MPs will be given to take away, read and keep for reference, will augment laptop presentations and display material.