More Trains On the Way

[madhattie]

From The Bristol Evening Post

MORE TRAINS ARE BEING LINED UP

BY RUPERT JANISCH R

10:40 - 20 April 2007

Rail passengers in the Bristol area could be in line for less cramped conditions on rush hour trains.Operator First Great Western says it plans to increase the frequency of services around Bristol, with changes starting this summer and taking full effect next January.

The modifications to the area's train timetables are part of a regular six-monthly review process but the company says it has listened to passengers and is now taking their views into account.

Earlier this year, passengers around the region took part in a fare strike over increasingly crowded conditions on commuter trains.

The protest was organised by pressure group More Trains - Less Strain, which is campaigning for First Great Western to spend more of its profits on new rolling stock.

Lance Cole, spokesman for First Great Western, said: "Railways change the timetable every year and, along with other operators, we do that in May and December.

"We are going to plan some changes to be incorporated in December for the new timetable and this will affect several trains throughout the region.

"We will be looking at our service timetables and patterns for local services in and around Bristol."

Among the changes expected are increased and better-spaced services between Temple Meads and Bath, especially at peak times.

Yesterday, campaign spokesman Tony Ambrose welcomed news of timetable changes but urged the company to press ahead with buying new engines and carriages.

And he said the old stock First Great Western is currently using is continuing to cause mayhem for commuters around the region, with overcrowding still a major problem.

More Trains - Less Strain spokesman Tony Ambrose said: "I'm very pleased that First Great Western is admitting that it has got things wrong and is trying to change it for the train-using public.

"But the thing that's still missing is that they're not planning to increase their rolling stock, so they will be running an improved timetable with very limited resources.

"These are very old trains - we are talking 20 to 30 years old. They break down frequently and it's causing mayhem and severe overcrowding."

Bath MP Don Foster has held meetings with First Great Western over the past six weeks to campaign for the changes.

[Portishead Prowler]

My source at the coalface tells me that they are getting Class 142's (ex Northern Rail, I assume), but are sending some 158's back off lease.

So this probably isn't the great news it being painted to be.....

[James]

Oh no...MORE Pacers? *Pete wets himself in excitement*

[madhattie]

Variety is the spice of life

I'm sure First's reputation will rise immeasurably by getting rid of the Transpennine 158s and bringing in some knackered 142s. Great move

[Rich_Eason]

mind you the TP 158 I was on was just about holding it together. Serious problem sounds comming from down underneath in the engine department. General external condition was pretty bad as well.

Not good, first impressions and all that....pardon the pun..

[James]

mind you the TP 158 I was on was just about holding it together. Serious problem sounds comming from down underneath in the engine department. General external condition was pretty bad as well.

Not good, first impressions and all that....pardon the pun..

Don't First have any carriage-washers now? When every train you board is splattered with dead flies and streaked with grime, it doesn't really give a good "First" impression. Some unit windows are so caked with crap that you can barely see out of them, and even the freshly-repainted MTU HST power cars obviously haven't been cleaned since they were outshopped. Of course, if they don't have anyone to fix the trains then they'll never find enough to do something as superficial as wash them.