ROGER GALE has challenged the Secretary of State for Transport, Ruth Kelly, to travel on the Kent coast line between Thanet and London and witness the conditions of service for herself.

Speaking during a Commons debate on the performance of Network Rail, the MP for North Thanet said: "Commuters from East Kent to London have faced a massive hike in their fares and they feel that with trains shorter, overcrowded and with poor timekeeping they are paying more for less.

"I would like to invite the Secretary of State to join me on the train from Thanet to London where I will do my best to guarantee her personal safety."

Responding, Ruth Kelly said that she did not need to travel on these trains to understand the problem.

After the exchange, Mr Gale added: "Commuters are very angry indeed.

"Passengers are faced with the prospect of a reduction in the number of trains to Cannon Street and Victoria and higher fares to St Pancras necessitating a waste of more time and money spent on underground trains to get from the terminus to work."