news story

2nd February 2009

MP Meets Local Rail Bosses over Yate Train Services

Northavon MP Steve Webb has today met the new managing director of First Great Western, Mark Hopwood, at Westminster to register his concern at the poor train service between Yate and Bristol.

The MP has been in ongoing correspondence with the company and also with the Department for Transport over the overcrowding and cancellations on train services between Yate, Filton Abbey Wood, Bristol Parkway and Bristol Temple Meads. Particular complaints from local residents include trains turning up with fewer carriages than necessary and a lack of information for passengers at Yate when delays occur.

The company said that reliability had improved in recent weeks because of the opening of a new Bristol maintenance depot, but accepted that there will still problems with a shortage of carriages. They told the MP that a small number of new carriages had been allocated to the region and that negotiations were continuing over obtaining a much larger number of carriages. However, it was unlikely that any new carriages would be in service for at least two years.

The MP also raised the issue of a possible 'turnback' at Yate which would allow a more frequent service in and out of Bristol because trains would no longer have to go on to Gloucester before heading back in to the city centre. The company said that although such a scheme was being looked at, Network Rail had not so far included it as one of its priorities for investment over the coming years.

More worryingly, First Great Western said that some of the train carriages currently used on the Yate-Bristol line were leased from the Welsh Assembly Government who were able to recall them with just three months' notice.

Commenting after the meeting, Steve Webb said:

"I welcome the improved reliability figures on this route, but there is still an awfully long way to go. The service needs more carriages and improved frequency, especially at peak hours, and there seems little sign that this is likely to happen for some years to come.

"It is vital that services around Bristol get their fair share of the new carriages on offer and that the idea of a turnback at Yate is progressed rapidly.

"I will be seeking to raise these issues again in Parliament in the coming weeks, and will keep up pressure on the Government to address the totally inadequate current arrangements".