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Major win for young rail users after government confirms railcard boost for 18 year olds
PRESS RELEASE FROM ALISTAIR STRATHERN MP TUESDAY 4th AUGUST 2026 Alistair Strathern, MP for Hitchin, has welcomed a major government announcement that will allow thousands more young people to benefit from discounted rail travel, following representations he made to the Department for Transport calling for the change. The Government has confirmed that from 17 August 2026, 16-17 Saver Railcards will remain valid for a full year from the date of purchase, rather than expiri
2 days ago
Arlesey Station Weekend Parking Charges Plan Withdrawn
PRESS RELEASE FROM ALISTAIR STRATHERN MP WEDNESDAY 29th JULY 2026 Alistair Strathern MP has welcomed the withdrawal of plans that would have paved the way for weekend parking charges at Arlesey Station's Henlow-side car park, describing it as a significant victory for local residents. The application sought to remove a long-standing Section 106 planning obligation that guarantees free weekend parking at the car park. Following strong opposition from local residents, rail
Jul 29
Urging Central Beds Council to keep Arlesey car park free on weekends
PRESS RELEASE FROM ALISTAIR STRATHERN MP THURSDAY 16th JULY 2026 Alistair Strathern, MP for the Hitchin constituency, has come out firmly against a move that would remove free weekend parking at Arlesey Station's Henlow-side car park. After being built, as a section 106 benefit of new housing, the car park was to be free on weekends. It was a key transport improvement won from accepting new housing. Despite this commitment being in place from the outset from Central Bedfo
Jul 16


Working with local horse riders to improve rural road safety
Alistair Strathern, MP for Hitchin, has met with local horse riders at The Holt Farm to hear first‑hand their concerns about dangerous driving, speeding and a lack of appropriate safety measures on rural roads across the area. Several riders shared their experiences of near‑misses and collisions involving fast‑moving vehicles, highlighting the urgent need for greater awareness and respect for the Highway Code. During the meeting, riders described a range of hazards the
May 1
Alistair Strathern MP and Communities of Great and Little Wymondley call for urgent action on heavy‑vehicle traffic and village safety
PRESS RELEASE 30TH APRIL 2026 Alistair Strathern MP and residents of Great Wymondley and Little Wymondley have come together to raise urgent concerns about the growing volume of heavy‑vehicle traffic passing through their narrow village roads, presenting what they describe as an “untenable” and increasingly dangerous situation for families, school children and the wider community. At a community meeting this week, residents shared a petition of nearly 100 signatures with the
Apr 30


Additional evening peak train service to stop at Hitchin
PRESS RELEASE FROM ALISTAIR STRATHERN MP WEDNESDAY 22nd APRIL 2026 Hitchin rail users will benefit from an extra PM peak service from London King’s Cross. From May 17th, the Great Northern 18:54 service from London King’s Cross to Cambridge will also call at Hitchin, providing extra capacity and a faster evening travel option for Hitchin commuters. The change is intended to better support passengers travelling home during the busy evening peak period, responding to demand
Apr 22


Upgrades planned to improve local rail reliability
PRESS RELEASE FROM ALISTAIR STRATHERN MP WEDNESDAY 11 th MARCH 2026 Alistair Strathern, MP for Hitchin, has welcomed a commitment from Network Rail to invest in installing a backup secondary signalling system across a key stretch of the local commuter line from Blackfriars to Farringdon. Since being elected Strathern has regularly engaged with Network Rail, train operators and the Department for Transport to challenge
Mar 11
Extra Hitchin to Kings Cross AM service announced
PRESS RELEASE FROM ALISTAIR STRATHERN MP FRIDAY 6 th FEBRUARY 2026 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Alistair Strathern, MP for Hitchin, celebrated the news that an additional peak time stopping train service from Hitchin would be returning after representations from his office. Passengers travelling from Hitchin and surrounding stations will benefit from the reinstatement of the morning stopping service to London King’s Cross, following recent concerns raised about its removal durin
Feb 6


Council must tackle ‘unacceptable’ congestion
PRESS RELEASE FROM ALISTAIR STRATHERN MP MONDAY 19 th JANUARY 2026 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Alistair Strathern, MP for Hitchin, is urging Herts County Council to take action to address the unacceptable congestion throughout the town. Several overlapping roadworks and utility projects, including several related to gas network upgrades by Cadent, have caused roads across Hitchin and nearby villages to come to a standstill over the last week. The long delays, and increased press
Jan 19
Record extra funding secured to repair local roads
PRESS RELEASE FROM ALISTAIR STRATHERN MP TUESDAY 2 nd DECEMBER 2025 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Alistair Strathern, Member of Parliament for the Hitchin constituency, has welcomed the Government’s record funding boost for road maintenance. Central Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire County Council combined have been allocated a minimum of £160m for maintenance over the next four years, reflecting record investment from the national Government in local road repairs. It comes as part
Dec 2, 2025
Alistair Strathern MP welcomes December arrival of contactless ticketing at Hitchin
PRESS RELEASE FROM ALISTAIR STRATHERN MP MONDAY 17 th NOVEMBER 2025 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Alistair Strathern, Member of Parliament for Hitchin, has today welcomed the news that contactless ticketing at Hitchin train station will be operational from December 14 th . Having originally been missed off the list for contactless roll out, Strathern was glad to be able to secure a place for Hitchin station on the upgrade programme after being elected. With works now nearing comp
Nov 17, 2025
Hitchin MP welcomes return of Thameslink services to public ownership
PRESS RELEASE FROM ALISTAIR STRATHERN MP MONDAY 6 th OCTOBER 2025 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Alistair Strathern, MP for Hitchin, has...
Oct 6, 2025


MP and town close ‘shocking’ ownerless road to push council to act
PRESS RELEASE FROM ALISTAIR STRATHERN MP WEDNESDAY 27 th AUGUST 2025 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Alistair Strathern, the MP for Hitchin,...
Aug 27, 2025


Local MP celebrates bus win for Kimpton and Whitwell commuters
PRESS RELEASE FROM ALISTAIR STRATHERN MP THURSDAY 22nd MAY 2025 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Alistair Strathern, MP for the Hitchin...
May 22, 2025
Local MP backs Langford Parish Council campaign for CBC white line u-turn
PRESS RELEASE FROM ALISTAIR STRATHERN MP TUESDAY 11th FEBRUARY 2025 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Alistair Strathern, Member of Parliament for...
Feb 11, 2025


Hitchin MP secures tap in and out ticketing for Hitchin train station
PRESS RELEASE FROM ALISTAIR STRATHERN MP MONDAY 20th JANUARY 2024 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Alistair Strathern, MP for the Hitchin...
Jan 20, 2025
Hitchin MP launches local pothole campaign following major funding boost
PRESS RELEASE FROM ALISTAIR STRATHERN MP FRIDAY 10th JANUARY 2025 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Alistair Strathern, the MP for the Hitchin...
Jan 10, 2025
Hitchin MP celebrates securing £11 million extra pothole funding for Hertfordshire and Central Beds
PRESS RELEASE FROM ALISTAIR STRATHERN MP FRIDAY 20th DECEMBER 2024 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Alistair Strathern, the MP for the Hitchin...
Dec 20, 2024


Over 350 people in first week back MPs campaign for council action on ‘awful’ road
In its first week, over 350 people have signed Hitchin MP Alistair Strathern’s letter calling on Central Bedfordshire Council (CBC) to...
Nov 25, 2024


MP calls for local council to fix unsafe and dangerous Shefford road
Alistair Strathern, MP for the Hitchin constituency, has called for Central Bedfordshire Council to begin repair work to Old Bridge Way,...
Nov 20, 2024
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