COMMUTERS campaigning against cuts in rush-hour services from Oxfordshire to London are to invite First Great Western's top manager to see the overcrowding on her firm's trains for herself.
Members of Ox Rail Action, which was formed at a meeting on Tuesday, say getting urgent action to tackle overcrowding on fast services from Oxford to the capital is their top priority.
And to get the point across, one commuter, who is due to meet FGW managing director Alison Forster tomorrow, will invite her to travel from Oxford into London on the 7.05am train one day early next month and then attend a meeting in Oxford that evening to discuss the effects of the timetable changes.
Under the new timetable, which began last week, the 6.45am and 7.25am fast services from Oxford were withdrawn.
The action group has set up an email address - saveourtrains@googlemail.com - for people who want to get involved with the campaign.
Action group spokesman Susan Westlake said: "We want to see longer trains, with more seats.
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"We have calculated that the timetable changes last week have resulted in the loss of 80 per cent of the seats that were available for Oxford commuters, which was even worse than we thought."
The only remaining expresses which get commuters into London in time for work, at 6.38am, 7.05am and 7.44am, all start their journeys on the Cotswold Line from Worcester, so are already busy by the time they reach Oxford.
FGW's Thames Valley general manager Richard Rowland said on Tuesday that the firm was looking at ways to put "extra resources" into the rush-hour service from Oxford and Didcot in the new year.
I would like to see FGW's justification for these idiotic timetable changes.
It looks like the new timetable was thought up by a bunch of Monkeys rolling a dice.
Commuters already had to put up with a poorly run, overcrowded and dirty service. These changes are a two fingered gesture to all those people who have no other choice but to travel with FGW.
FGW, you are already the lepar of the train network, start using a bit of common sense and you may be able to restore what little faith commuters had in your pathetic excuse for train service.
I would like to see FGW's justification for these idiotic timetable changes.
It looks like the new timetable was thought up by a bunch of Monkeys rolling a dice.
Commuters already had to put up with a poorly run, overcrowded and dirty service. These changes are a two fingered gesture to all those people who have no other choice but to travel with FGW.
FGW, you are already the lepar of the train network, start using a bit of common sense and you may be able to restore what little faith commuters had in your pathetic excuse for train service.
I would like to apply for a job at FGW, I have some revlutionary ideas that may help your company.
Rush hour = busy / more commuters. Therefore - run more frequent and longer trains.
I would like to apply for a job at FGW, I have some revlutionary ideas that may help your company.
Rush hour = busy / more commuters. Therefore - run more frequent and longer trains.
The real culprit is the DfT, wsho specified the levels of service / stock in the franchise. They obviously were specifying without doing train counts.
FGW have entered into a contract with the DfT with fewer coaches & fewer trains specified. Indeed, it would have been sensible for FGW, at preferred-bidder status, to have advised the DfT of their misgivings, rather than stupidly enter into a contract that they knew was only going to cause grief....
But the Government is the real culprit, trying to save money on a franchise that just couldn't work with the level of service they specified. And are hiding behind FGW who now get all the flack....
Lobby your MPs, they have influence at the DfT!!
The real culprit is the DfT, wsho specified the levels of service / stock in the franchise. They obviously were specifying without doing train counts.
FGW have entered into a contract with the DfT with fewer coaches & fewer trains specified. Indeed, it would have been sensible for FGW, at preferred-bidder status, to have advised the DfT of their misgivings, rather than stupidly enter into a contract that they knew was only going to cause grief....
But the Government is the real culprit, trying to save money on a franchise that just couldn't work with the level of service they specified. And are hiding behind FGW who now get all the flack....
The real culprit is the DfT, wsho specified the levels of service / stock in the franchise. They obviously were specifying without doing train counts.
FGW have entered into a contract with the DfT with fewer coaches & fewer trains specified. Indeed, it would have been sensible for FGW, at preferred-bidder status, to have advised the DfT of their misgivings, rather than stupidly enter into a contract that they knew was only going to cause grief....
But the Government is the real culprit, trying to save money on a franchise that just couldn't work with the level of service they specified. And are hiding behind FGW who now get all the flack....
Lobby your MPs, they have influence at the DfT!!
The real culprit is the DfT, wsho specified the levels of service / stock in the franchise. They obviously were specifying without doing train counts.
FGW have entered into a contract with the DfT with fewer coaches & fewer trains specified. Indeed, it would have been sensible for FGW, at preferred-bidder status, to have advised the DfT of their misgivings, rather than stupidly enter into a contract that they knew was only going to cause grief....
But the Government is the real culprit, trying to save money on a franchise that just couldn't work with the level of service they specified. And are hiding behind FGW who now get all the flack....
The problem is that FGW offer the only rail service from Oxford to London. Because there is no competition they have a complete monopoly and can charge whatever they want for as bad a service as they want.
If six trains' worth of passengers can be moved by three trains that's good for profits. An overcrowded train makes more money than a comfortable one. The passengers have no option to take their business elsewhere.
The problem is that FGW offer the only rail service from Oxford to London. Because there is no competition they have a complete monopoly and can charge whatever they want for as bad a service as they want.
If six trains' worth of passengers can be moved by three trains that's good for profits. An overcrowded train makes more money than a comfortable one. The passengers have no option to take their business elsewhere.
Actually Richard, yes they do. Coaches, and for an annual price of £850 to London rather than FGW's £3,750. I commute to Reading and I wish there were coaches to there!!
Actually Richard, yes they do. Coaches, and for an annual price of £850 to London rather than FGW's £3,750. I commute to Reading and I wish there were coaches to there!!
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