Firm cancelled 4,000 trains in a year
Train firm First Great Western cancelled more than 4,000 services in a year, according to new figures.
It means about one per cent cent of journeys it should have run during the last 12 months were ditched - forcing passengers to make alternative travel arrangements.
-
The train company said it had made major improvements by reducing the number of cancellations by 40 per cent compared with the previous year.
But campaigners said it would provide little comfort to passengers faced with rising costs.
Anthony Smith, chief executive of industry watchdog Passenger Focus, said: "These figures are disappointing especially as many passengers are now being asked to pay more for their rail fare.
"Passengers are also critical of how train companies deal with delays and disruptions and we call on the industry to communicate better with passengers during these times.
"Passengers are not interested in who is to blame for delays but want to be given plenty of information about disruptions and cancellations so that they can make alternative arrangements.
"It is also vital that passengers are proactively informed about the compensation they are owed when cancellations occur."
The Association of Train Operating Companies figures show 4,048 of the 480,326 First Great Western services were cancelled in the 12 months from January last year.
The figures do not include trains that have been replaced by a rail replacement bus service.
Norman Baker, Liberal Democrat Shadow Transport Secretary who uncovered the figures, said: "Not only do we have the most expensive railway in Europe, but passengers in Britain are expected to put up with tens of thousands of cancelled trains every year.
"The Government would rather shift costs on to passengers than pay for better services and more trains.
"We need to raise standards on the railways, with longer franchises and tough passenger satisfaction targets to bring in much needed investment."
Nationally the 19 train operating companies cancelled more than 62,000 trains, although some companies faced factors that were beyond their control such as Virgin Trains and London Midland which were hit by the major upgrade of the West Coast Main Line.
A spokesman for First Great Western said: "We have the biggest franchise in the country and so have more trains than any other.
"The number of cancellations has actually gone done by 40 per cent on the previous 12 months and it is not just the number of cancellations we are reducing but the number of delays.
"We have made decent strides in the last 12 months but there is still plenty to do.
"We have been taking a much more forensic look at why cancellations are happening and have been working much better with Network Rail.
"There is still much for us to do."
8 Comments
by KB, Bristol, England
Wednesday, January 28 2009, 10:03AM
“"1% cancellations, landslips, signaling failures and other reasons outside of FG control". Norman, the reasons for problems on my daily commute are mainly train failures or staffing problems. Stop sticking up for them !”
by PeteM, Bristol
Tuesday, January 27 2009, 5:27PM
“Lets look at this yet another way.
99% success rate or not, First have done more to damage quality of life in Bristol than the Nazis ever achieved in WWII.
I don't hold with the general view that we're necessarily stuck with this situation though. I haven't used First for 3 years now; it IS possible- AT THE MOMENT. The important thing to focus on now is opposing the congestion charge and making sure they don't get their grubby mitts on the Bristol-Bath railway path. If those two things ever happen then that it will be GAME OVER.”
by Glenn Vowles, vowlesthegreen.blogspot.com
Tuesday, January 27 2009, 4:22PM
“'FIRST GROUP 99% SUCCESS RATE' (Norman)
This is no comfort to many thousands of passengers who have their lives disrupted. And its not just the cancellations, its the high and rising fares and the late trains and the lack of a seat once on a train and the disincentive it gives to people to get out of their cars and the cost to our climate(and all while they are making big profits). So much for letting the train take the strain.”
by Norman, Bemmie
Tuesday, January 27 2009, 4:11PM
“Lets look at this another way instead of the Evening Post way. 1% of journeys cancelled, therefore 99% of journeys operated. Not bad I should think. Oh yes and it would be good to know the reasons for those 1% cancellations, landslips, signaling failures and other reasons outside of FG control. Not a bad result is it.
How about this for a headline:
FIRST GROUP 99% SUCCESS RATE.”
by Glenn Vowles, vowlesthegreen.blogspot.com
Tuesday, January 27 2009, 3:59PM
“First Great Western cancelled over 4000 journeys last year, we have the most expensive railways in Europe and when you can get on a train that is running on time you often can't get a seat! The 19 train operating companies between them cancelled 62,000 trains! Hasn't serious underinvestment and privatisation of the railways been great!?!
(If you are a shareholder privatisation has been great for your pocket though - with huge profits put before people travelling)
Let's run the railways (and the buses for that matter) with a proper public service ethos, put public transport into public/community ownership and give people an affordable, good quality alternative to car use .”
by Julraj, bristol
Tuesday, January 27 2009, 3:53PM
“I know we all love to bash First but lets step back for a second.
Their monopoly bus service costs £2 for a single from cheltenham road to the centre of bristol - that's barely a mile. The buses are filthy and driven by aggressive, miserable prats. I would rather pay my £400 car tax and drive my 18mpg car than even consider taking one of their buses.
Their trains are better than they used to be for my journeys although quite why they insist on only using the smallest of trains between Bristol and Bath I don't know. Also, having just checked online, if I wanted to go to Oxford at 5pm tonight it would cost a staggering £53 one-way. (This is the cheapest fare, I couldn't understand quite why for one journey it varies between £53 and £84.)
So having thought about Bristol's chosen bus company First, I personally would like it to be thrown into administration, let the dogs finish them. Of course they never will because of the monopoly but it would certainly make me smile!”
by James S, Bristol
Tuesday, January 27 2009, 1:33PM
“Every time I read about First, appaling service or price rises I have to remember the £60 million profit on the UK bus division and the £48 million profit from rail.
How can the poor dears be expected to provide good service when they're so obviously on the breadline?
(figures from Nov 2008 FirstGroup profit/loss announcment for previous six month period)”
by Paul, Bristol
Tuesday, January 27 2009, 1:06PM
“Lucky the council are thinking of building the new 'Transport Hub' right next to the station for all the people arriving by train...oh no...maybe....okay....Lucky the council are thinking of building the new 'Transport Hub' so they can cause more congestion and make the lives of ordinary Bristolians even more painful.
And nothing surprises me anymore when it comes to Second Rate Western as a company. Pathetic excuse for a transport company.”