A FURIOUS MP has demanded answers over problems with south Essex trains.

Sir David Amess, MP for Southend West, has written to the Department of Transport over problems he and commuters have experienced with c2c trains between Shoebury and London.

Speaking to the Echo, Mr Amess said: “Underlying the situation with c2c is my frustration that all those years ago, when I was the MP for Basildon, I was instrumental in getting the line’s operators changed. So from being known as the ‘Misery Line’ it became the ‘Happy Line’.

“Over recent months – up to the last two years – I have seen the service deteriorate, as both a user myself and from constituents who have told me about their own experiences.

“The timetabling was a complete fiasco, the cost of travel has steadily risen whilst customer satisfaction has declined.

“In the evening, trains are regularly diverted to Liverpool Street and in rush hour, many of the trains are overcrowded.

“The card reader machines are farcical, taking forever to complete a transaction, while the so-called ticket machines which have been installed are not fit for purpose. Their instructions are incomprehensible, they are horrendous to operate and they are badly positioned.

“I intend to escalate my battle with Trenitalia/c2c to restore the once good service.”

Luke Mackenzie, councillor for Pitsea, said issues were also prevalent in the Basildon borough.

He said: “It’s all very well claiming they have punctual trains, but passengers are increasingly finding difficult to get on those trains. Smartcard tickets often don’t work, forcing passengers to queue to buy another. Then they have to wait for nearly a month to get a refund.

“Queues can be big, with the lack of ticket booths open, causing commuters to miss trains. This a particular problem in Pitsea where trains can run only every half hour, and on the rest of the line on a Sunday.”

A c2c spokesman said: “We continue to thank our customers for their ongoing patience.

“We are investing in new modern ticket-buying facilities to replace the old, out-dated technology that had been in use, but we do appreciate the roll-out of the new system has caused some frustrations.”

Staffing cuts have also been criticised.