The Chairman at the head of passenger transport authority Centro has today pledged to fight the Government decision to end the rail service between Walsall and Wolverhampton in December.

Cllr Gary Clarke called for the vital rail link to be continued after increases in punctuality, reliability and marketing have seen the number of passengers using the line grow significantly to 60,000 a year.

The action follows a letter from Rail Minister Tom Harris refusing to continue funding the Walsall to Wolverhampton route due to low patronage.

It has also emerged that there is not sufficient rolling stock available to keep the service operating after a series of region-wide timetable changes come into effect in December 2008.

Cllr Clarke will be writing a letter to Mr Harris to express his disappointment at the decision and call on the Government to reverse its decision.

He said: “The Walsall to Wolverhampton rail service is a vital link for many Walsall and Wolverhampton residents by providing a quick and reliable connection between the two boroughs and giving much needed access to connecting rail services. Existing bus services take over 40 minutes to cover the 15 minute rail journey.

“Thanks to the increase in reliability and punctuality on the Walsall to Wolverhampton line, confidence has grown and we have seen the number of people taking advantage of this service rise significantly. The minister is losing the opportunity to build on this success further.”

“The Government should be looking to provide investment in local rail services so that we have a consistent high quality rail network that encourages and carers for passenger growth.”