AN UNDER-FIRE rail chief has apologised to long-suffering Vale commuters following a string of serious delays and cancellations to trains across Worcestershire.
Great Western Railways managing director Mark Hopwood made the apology during a meeting with south Worcestershire MPs including Pershore MP Harriett Baldwin and Evesham MP Nigel Huddleston.
Mr Hopwood gave an update on plans to increase the number of trained drivers able to use the vital commuter routes and outlined plans to improve services for local rail-users.
Increased efforts to communicate better with customers is also on the timetable for the company with ‘Meet the Manager’ events to be held at a number of local stations, with details to be advertised on station noticeboards.
Mrs Baldwin has had a regular dialogue with the rail operator, raising a tranche of complaints from commuters who have faced major inconvenience owing the lack of drivers able to drive the new trains being rolled out on the Great Western lines.
“As a group of MPs, we have had a lot of unhappy people complaining about the appalling service in recent months and Mark Hopwood agreed to meet with us to talk through the current problems and some potential solutions,” she said.
“He offered his profuse apologies for the delays which I am keen to pass on to all those rail-users who have had their journeys cancelled or delayed.
“This level of service is simply not acceptable and we all made the point that urgent improvements need to be implemented to bring the rail operation back up to scratch.
“I’ve also agreed to help constituents who are entitled to compensation to press their cases directly with his team.
“We need faster, more frequent and more reliable services throughout the year but, right now, we are all looking to GWR to deliver on its promises and give commuters services which are promised in the timetable.”
- LONG-SUFFERING rail-users are being offered the chance to quiz train operator Great Western Railway directly on Cotswold Line reliability issues.
The 1,800-member Cotswold Line Promotion Group, which celebrates its 40th anniversary this year, has described service disruption on the Hereford to Worcester to London route as some of the worst in its history.
The last four months have seen a catalogue of complete train cancellations, serious delays and trains regularly terminating short of destination.
Similar reliability issues have also regularly disrupted services for passengers using other local services.
Representatives from the operator will be on hand at the group’s AGM in the W.I Hall in Moreton-in-Marsh on Saturday from 10.30am for a question and answer session.
Liberal Democrat peer and transport spokesman Lord Bill Bradshaw will be the guest speaker while the meeting will be chaired by Cotswold Line Group President, Lord Faulkner of Worcester.
