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Mr Bristow has written to Rail Minister Chris Heaton-Harris outlining his concerns and asking for a meeting alongside Mayor of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough James Palmer.

In a letter seen by the Peterborough Telegraph, Mr Bristow says: “There is an urgent need to improve rural rail services in the Fenland area and, particularly, to create a fast, reliable and direct service between Peterborough and Cambridge.

“The lack of adequate rail services between the two main cities in our county is hampering our economic development.

“It often makes accessing crucial services at Papworth and Addenbrooke’s hospitals impossible for my constituents, while preventing employment and entertainment opportunities for local people. In short, local train services are not up to scratch.

“Over the years we have been promised much by the local train operating companies, but precious little has been delivered. I have discussed this directly with the Mayor of Peterborough and Cambridgeshire James Palmer and I share his frustration about the lack of progress.”

Mr Bristow said currently there is only an hourly service between Peterborough and Cambridge, with trains taking longer than 50 minutes and not stopping at Whittlesea or Manea stations “despite assurances of improvements” by CrossCountry.

He criticised the firm for only promising to look at services again in 2021, adding: “This lack of ambition for realising our county’s potential shows no commitment to the well-being of local people.”

He said improving services would “ease the burden on patients and their families while saving lives,” due to the number of patients from Peterborough travelling to vital hospital appointments in the south of the county.

The MP also claimed that Greater Anglia has “shelved” plans for an hourly service between Peterborough and Ipswich by the start of this year.

Mayor Palmer has previously criticised rail services in the county, saying he had been “continually frustrated” in attempts to bring forward a package of improvements to rail services at Fenland stations.

He has called for the county’s mayoral authority to have sign-off rights in the awarding of any new rail franchises covering the area.

Peterborough MP calls for ‘urgent’ improvements to city rail services with Cambridge and Fenland