Written - First Great Western Service to West Wales

 First Great Western’s  (FGW) new timetable takes effect from December 2006. The Department for Transport (DfT) is responsible for the FGW franchise and has agreed the new timetable, which would see the termination of the 15:15 from London Paddington to Swansea at Cardiff. Currently it runs onto Swansea, departing Cardiff at 17.18. This is the only FGW service to West Wales that would be affected by the December timetable changes.

I have made it repeatedly clear to FGW that it is not acceptable that several hundred passengers on a peak service to Swansea should have their journeys disrupted in the way the company proposes.

In addition to the 17:18 service, there are further FGW changes that will have a detrimental effect on services for Welsh passengers. The peak-time morning and evening services between Severn Tunnel Junction and Bristol Temple Meads are being halved, despite large numbers of commuters using them. The half-hourly service between 6am and 8am to Bristol and between 4pm and 6pm to Cardiff will become hourly. I am therefore concerned over the capacity constraints and overall quality of service provided on this route.

FGW also intends to withdraw the buffet car on some of its trains between South Wales and Paddington. The purpose of this change is to reduce the weight of the train so as to allow it to accelerate more quickly and therefore allow the company more flexibility in terms of reaching its performance targets, thus avoiding being penalised for late running. For those trains where it is intended to remove the buffet car, passengers will have access to a trolley service. Again I have opposed this change as it will reduce the quality of service to passengers and discourage long distance travel between England and Wales.

I have written to both the Department of Transport & FGW expressing my strong opposition to the proposed changes. I have also met with the Managing Directors of both FGW and the First Group to personally convey my concerns on this matter.

In addition, I have raised this subject at a meeting last month with Douglas Alexander, the Secretary of State for Transport.

I will be meeting FGW’s top management again within the next few weeks and will once more raise with the company the strong case for a reversal of its proposed timetable changes.

I would hope I have the support of all Members in the course of action I have taken to date, and would urge colleagues to write to FGW raising this issue with the company.