http://www.chelmsfordweeklynews.co.uk/n ... ns/?ref=mcSimon Burns was a transport minister, and was responsible for trains. Thing is, he quit his ministerial role in an attempt to become a deputy speaker. That failed, so he’s just a back bencher now. Also, let’s remember that he prefers to be driven to work instead of using the trains. So I’m not convinced so far.
Also remember that the line he’s talking about has had its contract renewed every two years, and we’ve had a succession of companies running the trains - so much so that it’s not been uncommon to see a train run by the new company using the old company’s livery with the name painted out. The very reason that contracts are on a two year renewal timetable does not make buying new stock viable as an investment because there is little chance of seeing a return on the investment. So, we have some new trains on the line, but you’ll see a lot of rolling stock rumbling through that’s been doing the route since the 1990s, if not before.