West Worcestershire MP Harriett Baldwin has called on rail operator West Midlands Trains to work to find local parking solutions after it hiked prices at its two Malvern station car parks. Commuters are now being hit with a £3 daily charge at Great Malvern and Malvern Link stations meaning many more cars are now finding parking spaces on the roadside rather than pay the increased fees. This is causing inconvenience to local residents and it risks causing extra congestion around both stations as more cars park at the roadside. Harriett has urged West Midlands Trains to work with the local authority to develop a solution – possibly involving resident’s parking permit spaces near to the station. Her intervention follows the announcements that West Midlands Trains was introducing or hiking parking fees across the country this month. The train company has had its subsidies reduced to make sure that the tax payer pays less to underpin the rail network but these prices hikes mean commuters will pay more and those who don’t want to pay the fees will find free parking around the stations instead. Harriett commented: “Rail operators have introduced and hiked car parking fees across the country in the last few weeks and the Malvern stations have been affected by this new policy. “While is support the principal of reducing the cost to the tax payer of running the trains, these parking fees will have unintended consequences of impacting local residents who live near our Malvern stations. “Station car parking is an issue that I have already picked up on as I canvassed in the last local elections and I am now urging West Midland Trains to work with the local authorities and local residents to find a swift solution to minimise their inconvenience.”