Wealden Line Campaign Director Brian Hart has described the latest £5.5bn government transport plan as "a massive slap in the face for Wealden travellers".

The plan, announced by Transport Secretary Alistair Darling on 10 December, is dominated by what is described as the biggest road building programme for 20 years. At its heart are plans to widen long stretches of motorway from six lanes to eight and build major new sections of dual carriageway. There is no money whatsoever for the struggling rail network in East Sussex and Kent.

"When 'New Labour' came to power in 1997, John Prescott promised us an 'integrated transport system', which was supposed to reduce road traffic," said Mr Hart. "All his successor, Mr Darling, has given us is the same old recipe for worsening both congestion and pollution as more cars just fill up all the new roads."

His concerns were supported by comments by Professor David Begg, head of the government's own transport think tank. Speaking on the BBC, he pointed out that the benefits of widening the M25 were lost within a year as traffic increased by 33%.

"Each of the big projects in this spending package could have paid for reopening the short Lewes-Uckfield 'missing link' several times over," said Mr Hart. "For just £25m, this straightforward scheme would open up a major rail artery between London and the South Coast and provide a much-needed alternative to the overcrowded Brighton line"

Mr Hart added: "The South East desperately needs more track space so that congestion can be reduced in towns like Tunbridge Wells, Haywards Heath, Lewes, Brighton and Eastbourne. But New Labour has shown that it is not interested in simple rail projects to enable South Central and Connex to offer substantially better rail services across central Weald. It smacks of nothing short of a cynical political snub."

But far from this and other schemes like it going ahead, the Strategic Rail Authority admitted last week* that there would be no new rail projects in the 2003 Strategic Plan. "The reason," said Mr Hart, "was quite simple: lack of funding."

"Despite all the spin, after more than five years of new 'New Labour' people in this congested region are still no nearer getting a decent rail system than they were in 1997."

* Speech to the Rail Passengers Council by SRA Chairman and Chief Executive, Richard Bowker, on 4 December

12 December 2002