New fears of peak rail service cuts

Fears rose today that some little-used train stations across the South of England could be closed or left without any off-peak time services.

The Strategic Rail Authority is studying plans for big service cuts to reduce the industry's £5 billion a year subsidy.

Under its plans for the South, revealed by the Standard last year, up to 50 services to and from Victoria to small stations in Kent could be cut to four or six peak-time trains.

There were huge protests over the plans, which the SRA is in the process of rethinking.

But now it has been revealed that rail chiefs are considering - as part of the same economy drive - huge cuts to branch line services and closure of some stations in the West Midlands.