RAIL users have been left 'fed up' after the Lakes Line suffered 14 cancellations in one day last Thursday (April 5).

Lakes Line Rail User Group assistant secretary Dick Smith said that although Thursday was a 'particularly bad day', the Lakes Line had been suffering from cancellations for 'months'.

"We as a user group and the Lakes Line Community Rail Partnership have got fed up with it," he said. "We know that regular passengers are making other arrangements if necessary because they cannot rely on the service to get them to work and it's a very poor situation and it's extremely worrying."

He added that the cancellations were affecting both daily local commuters as well as tourists visiting the area, who may be put off from using the service again.

"We do not want people being put off using the train by feeling it's unreliable," he said. "Once you gain a reputation for unreliability, it's going to stick."

Westmorland and Lonsdale MP Tim Farron has called for Arriva Rail North to be stripped from operating the Lakes Line after last Thursday.

“Turning up to the station to find their train has been cancelled has sadly become a far too familiar experience for people in the South Lakes," he said. “But Thursday’s shambolic episode was the final straw.

“It’s painfully clear that Arriva Rail North aren’t up to the job and they should be forced to step aside so a company who is actually capable of providing a reliable service can take over."

Sharon Keith, regional director for Northern, said she was 'extremely disappointed' with the number of cancelled trains and apologised to all Lakes Line customers for the inconvenience caused.

“We fully appreciate the impact these cancellations have on the local economy, especially at the start of the holiday season, and that is why we deployed three coaches to operate along the line throughout the disruption, ensuring we kept our customers moving and maintained connections at Oxenholme," she said. "We remain fully committed to providing the best possible service for our customers and continue to work with our staff and industry colleagues to deliver the train services the region relies upon. I would like to reassure our customers that our modernisation plans, which will transform the train journey experience for our customers by 2020 remain our number one focus across every one of our routes, including the Lakes Line.”