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First Great Western Timetables To Be Challenged by MPs
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Martin Salter, MP for Reading West, will be joining other MPs in the Thames Valley at a meeting with First Great Western to call upon them to take action to solve the overcrowding caused by the reduction in capacity, following the introduction of the new timetable last month.
At the meeting in the House of Commons next Thursday, Mr Salter, will make it clear that unless First Great Western amend their new timetable to take account of commuters complaints he will be calling upon the government to terminate their franchise. In December, Mr Salter, together with Ed Vaizey, Conservative MP for Wantage, sponsored a cross-party House of Commons Early Day Motion (EDM 526), which calls for sufficient capacity to be reintroduced to the network which serves the crucial routes into London Paddington, to enable passengers to travel safely on regular and reliable services. The motion also notes that this decrease in the quality of the services comes at a time when fares have risen far above the rate of inflation. Mr Salter has been campaigning against the proposed cuts in services, particularly those affecting the direct services to London from Tilehurst, Reading West and Pangbourne stations since the draft timetable was published last February. In a recent letter to First Great Western Managing Director, Alison Forster, Mr Salter said: “I am extremely disappointed that the final timetable fails to remedy the serious concerns raised by myself and a large number of my constituents, particularly in regard to the services from Tilehurst and Pangbourne…The new timetable will exacerbate overcrowding at Reading Station and on the network, and that this will lead to a decline in customer service for my constituents”. Mr Salter added: “MPs from right the way across the Thames Valley have been inundated with complaints from commuters who are incensed at being forced to pay above inflation fare increases for a service that worsened overnight following the introduction of the new timetable on December 10th. "Carriages where once it was possible to get a seat are now jam-packed due to their use of smaller trains at peak times. The problem is particularly acute at stations west of Reading where there has been a substantial reduction in the number of fast trains to London. "My constituents in Pangbourne and Theale have been especially disadvantaged and I have also had a number of communications from people in the Newbury and Didcot areas who are frustrated with the actions of First Great Western.” He added: “First Great Western have been lobbied strongly and repeatedly since February last year not to introduce this disastrous new timetable. "I shall be making it crystal clear to Alison Forster on Thursday that the company has lost my support and confidence and that unless urgent action is taken I will be calling for them to be stripped of their franchise.” 05/01/07 |
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