Thurrock MP Andrew Mackinlay is calling on rail operators c2c to run all their trains into Fenchurch Street and not to use Liverpool Street station at night.

His comments follow the publishing of research by the London Transport Users Committee which says that the vast majority of passengers want this to happen.

A spokesman for c2c described the report as "very valuable" and "detailed", but questioned its figures.

He said that out of 3,869 questionnaire cards issued by LTUC only 667 were returned, "and that's less than two per cent of our total customers".

The spokesman added that the post 10pm switch to Liverpool Street had started "20-odd years ago" for a variety of reasons, including safety, costs, having to keep one station rather than two open, and better facilities for passengers.

Mr Mackinlay said he would be writing to c2c asking them to look at the situation again.

He added that the LTUC report "confirms the view that I have repeatedly made to c2c that it is wrong for them to alter their terminus arrangements in the middle of each weekday evening in order to save money".

The c2c spokesman said the company had not ruled out changing the system so all trains would run to Fenchurch Street and was talking with Railtrack, for example, to see if the full introduction of driver-operator only trains in the summer would make the move advisable.

Published Friday, March 22, 2002