A REPORT highlighting the derailment of passengers' confidence in local rail services has been launched in South Lakeland.

National transport spokesman for the Liberal Democrats Michael Moore MP took to the platform at Grange-over-Sands railway station with the report Getting There? on Monday.

The 13-page document features views of almost 600 rail-users, travelling to and from the area, who were surveyed by Liberal Democrats about their thoughts on local rail services.

Mr Moore, who represents the Tweedale, Ettrick and Lauderdale constituency, said it was "a huge report" which reinforced the concerns and disappointment of many other rail-users.

"The trains are usually late, people don't get enough information to tell them what is going on - the findings are pretty consistent with surveys up and down the country," he told the Gazette.

Mr Moore called on the Government to create a "reliable and affordable" railway system to encourage people away from their cars, stressing: "Services have to be improved to take the pressure off the road network."

Highlighting part of the report, which revealed that almost a third of travellers who responded to the survey were under 30, he said there was "clearly a new generation of passengers."

On the question of ticket costs, Mr Moore said: "One of the proposals we are making is that the number of fares regulated should be increased.

Some companies are beginning to abuse their position where they recognise they are the one choice people have for transport."

Mr Moore was joined by Tim Farron, the party's prospective parliamentary candidate for Westmorland and Lonsdale, who compiled the report.

He pointed out that despite high fuel prices local residents were not choosing the railway, "because it is not reliable."

"The majority of stations in the area are not staffed, and both men and women, of all ages, said they did not feel safe using trains after dark," added Mr Farron.

The report, which Mr Moore also took to Oxenholme station, is being sent to the Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott, local rail operators and Railtrack.