A FORMER MP who campaigned to get investment in the North Cotswolds line has slammed operator Great Western Railway for the substandard service it offers its passengers.
Peter Luff said he and other rail users were growing increasingly dissatisfied with the route which runs from Oxford to Hereford, via Worcester and Malvern.
In a letter to GWR Mr Luff said: “Cancellations are frequent and the substitution of five or eight-car trains with three car Turbos commonplace.
“I cannot believe you think it is acceptable to run such short and uncomfortable trains on such long journeys.
“The inadequacy of your service is destroying communities and economies, not underpinning them.
“My daughter, for example, who does not drive, avoids coming home because of the unreliability and discomfort of the journey and I am sure there are many more like her.”
Among the other criticisms Mr Luff had were trains being overcrowded, too hot or too cold, and a lack of power points and available space to work in when he booked first class tickets.
“I am writing this with my laptop balanced on my knees with standing passengers in First Class, and really needing to use the on-board toilet, but unable to fight my way through the carriages to do so. (I have since tried and it is in an unusable state – I will wait for home).”
Mr Luff concluded his letter by saying he would travel with other operators where he could to avoid using GWR.
“Please help me use the line I want to use. Please give me hope.”
A GWR spokesperson told The Observer: “We know that recent performance on the North Cotswolds route has not been good enough and we are sorry.
“We have had some issues with driver training – this coupled with damage sustained by a small number of our remaining High Speed Train fleet, and some Network Rail infrastructure challenges has meant that we have had to make some hard choices to deliver the best service we can. This has meant we are running some services as turbos.
“We are doing all we can to get back to time, by prioritising North Cotswolds services where possible, and to mitigate delays when they do occur.
“Passengers who have had a booked service cancelled may be entitled to compensation and we would urge them to get in touch.”
What have been your experiences of GWR trains on the North Cotswolds Line? Are you happy with the service? Email us your views to [email protected]
The Observer says…….
THE TIME has come for rail commuters to be given the service they deserve and the one they pay vast amounts of hard-earned cash to use.
Concerns raised about services on the North Cotswold Line, by former MP Peter Luff who campaigned for improvements on the route, make worrying reading, but are probably unsurprising for many rail commuters.
Overcrowded services where people are forced to stand in cramped conditions, unfit toilet conditions, cancellations and three-car trains when five or eight are needed are all woeful situations which need rectifying.
Especially when fares increase year on year but wages seldom do.
