EDM 686: Rural rail services

That this House acknowledges the inadequate rail services in rural areas such as those on the Salisbury to Exeter railway line, which serves West Dorset constituency; calls on the Government to act on the analysis and recommendations of the Connecting South West England Report from Greengauge 21 on much-needed electrification and the upgrade of single-line tracks with passing points to double lines to reduce delays and improve service reliability for passengers and operators; expresses concern over the lack of alignment between the timeline for the nationalisation of South Western Rail and the establishment of Great British Railways, and the risk this poses for achieving a cohesive and integrated rail strategy; further highlights the potential for missed opportunities in delivering a unified vision for the rail network, risking fragmenting the long term approach to reform the rail network; and calls for targeted investment in rural rail infrastructure to address the underrepresentation of these areas in public transport planning.