PROPOSED changes to traffic management at Taunton Railway Station should make life a lot easier for travellers from West Somerset, says local MP Ian Liddell-Grainger.

But Mr Liddell-Grainger said it had been a ‘monumental task’ to persuade rail agencies of the need for them.

Mr Liddell-Grainger has met GWR and Network Rail officials to discuss a deluge of complaints he hasd received from constituents since major alterations were implemented at the station, including moving its main entrance to the south side.

Drivers dropping off or picking up rail travellers have spoken of traffic chaos, inadequate short-term parking, and poor signage.

Meanwhile, the decision to de-man entrance barriers on the north side of the station has meant drivers using the cheaper local authority car park there can no longer take the station subway to reach the down platform.

Mr Liddell-Grainger said the stated intention of turning the station into a public transport hub had turned out to be a ‘laughable failure’.

He said: “It has been nothing more than an exercise in squeezing more money out of people by pressuring them to use the multi-storey car park while completely disregarding the needs of the travelling public.

“There is a limited amount of short-term parking for those meeting trains but by no means enough to take account of the frequent, long delays to GWR and Cross Country services.”

Mr Liddell-Grainger said he had a fruitful meeting with rail officials, and improvements had been agreed.

“Getting the various agencies to acknowledge there are genuine public grievances was a real struggle but now we have had our first meeting I am confident we are on the way to resolving a number of issues- though it is only a start,” he said.

“There is going to be longer free parking and changes to signage and the lay-out which should remove many of the current problems.

“I am hoping we shall soon also be able to resolve the issue of the unmanned barrier - which, given the number of reports I have had of people jumping over it so they can travel without a ticket is very much in GWR’s interest.”