Archived press release

Rail Passengers Hit Back - launch of mass text messaging action

15 April 2002

In LONDON, sundry Gordon Browns will be chased by angry commuters demanding a better deal for rail passengers. The action will take place on Monday 15th April at 8.00am at Euston Station.

Today (Monday) Friends of the Earth launches a major campaign for new investment in Britain's crumbling railways. The campaign will mobilise rail users across the country, using their mobile phone to text this number:

07764 125 125

The cost of sending a message is less than 10p. These messages - of up to 150 characters - will be converted to emails by communications company Textback, and will then be delivered by FOE to the Treasury, addressed to Chancellor of the Exchequer Gordon Brown. If you don't have a mobile or can't text, you can take action online at: www.stoptrainrobbery.com.

FOE will also be taking its message to major railway stations in cities across the country

In London and Manchester actions will include:

1. Large guerilla banners with messages such as "Don't let Gordon 'Fingers' Brown take the railways for a ride" with a picture of Gordon Brown holding a swag bag - locations to be confirmed
2. Flyposters/railingboards in station entrance ways with messages such as "Crammed in like Sheep, it's time to bleat" - to cover 4 main stations in Manchester, and 8 main stations in London
3. Spoof police incident boards - outlining Gordon Brown as the criminal and sending the text message as the interaction - leading into stations outlined above
4. Lamppost notices with same content as spoof incident boards, leading into stations

Tired, angry and frustrated commuters are arriving at their rail station. They have followed a series of posters with messages such as 'crammed in like sheep? It's time to bleat!', 'packed trains, don't stand for it'........ Outside the station they will see a tall, continental news kiosk, covered with wanted posters of Gordon 'Fingers' Brown and containing a large punch bag in the shape of a swagbag. They will be called upon to 'stop the second great train robbery', a telephone number will be prominently displayed. In huge letters on the kiosk will be 'Nightmare journey? Stress relief here. And here 07764 125 125'. They will be greeted by a cheerful and noisy newsvendor with a megaphone who will invite them to come and relieve their pent up feelings of frustration by walloping the punch bag, and then texting Gordon Brown.

Across the country 80 local Friends of the Earth groups will also be taking action outside their railway stations - full details from Friends of the Earth Press Office.

Commenting, FOE Transport Campaigner Tony Bosworth said:
"Public anger at the state of our railways is growing by the day. Other European countries run safe, efficient, and affordable railway systems. Why can't we? Labour took office pledging to reverse the decades of under-funding and the chaotic privatised mess left them by the last Tory Government. But in practice, little or nothing has been done. Failures, breakdowns and delays are still the daily experience of angry rail users all over the country. Now, for the first time, they can make their feelings known right at the heart of Government. We hope that our text messaging action will finally bring home to Ministers that it is past time to put in the public money and management effort needed to rescue Britain's railways."

NOTES

1. FOE believes that supporting public transport is essential if people are to be persuaded and helped to be less dependent on cars. Trains pump out much less carbon dioxide per passenger mile than other forms of transport. For a trip from London - Manchester, a plane pumps out 7 times as much CO2 per passenger as an electric train and a car pumps out 4 times as much (Commission for Integrated Transport). Moving one tonne of freight by road produces 5 times as much CO2 as moving it by rail (Railway Forum).

2.35% of the public would travel less by car if train services were better (Commission for Integrated Transport). Only 14% of the public think enough investment is being made in the railways to meet the needs of passengers (55% think there isn't enough investment and the rest don't know) (Commission for Integrated Transport). Only seven out of ten (71%) of trains ran on time in the last 3 months of 2001 compared with almost eight out of ten (79%) in the previous 3 months. 'On time' means not more than 5 minutes late for local and regional trains, and not more than 10 minutes late for inter-city. (Strategic Rail Authority).

If you're a journalist looking for press information please contact the Friends of the Earth media team on 020 7566 1649.

Published by Friends of the Earth Trust