Thatcham gets an extra train to London Paddington early in the mornings thanks to MP Lee Dillon
Commuters in Thatcham will be raising their travel mugs to Newbury MP Lee Dillon next week.
He has used his parliamentary muscle to get an extra stopping service for Thatcham on the way to Paddington.
He says he stepped in on behalf of a constituent who’d “hit a brick wall” with GWR, Network Rail, the Ombudsman and more
Mr Dillon’s intervention has led to a new 5.31am Bedwyn service being trialled next week, stopping at Thatcham at 5.54am and offering an extra early connection to Paddington.
He is encouraging local commuters to try the service and hopes it can be made permanent based on usage and feedback.
"One of the best parts of my job is being able to turn local concerns into action, and I’m really pleased to share a small but meaningful victory for Thatcham commuters.
"I’ve been contacted by constituents about the regular cancellation of the 5.54am train from Thatcham to London. It’s an important service for early starters, but due to engineering works and operational decisions, it’s been dropped from the timetable far too often, leaving passengers stranded and late for work or appointments.
"One determined resident had already tried contacting GWR, Network Rail, the Rail Ombudsman, and Transport Focus, but got nowhere. That’s when he reached out to me, and I took the matter up directly with GWR and Network Rail to get to the bottom of it."
Mr Dillon said GWR explained that the cancellations were down to routine engineering access and that a straightforward fix wasn’t possible, but after some pushing, GWR’s planning team agreed to explore alternatives.
"I’m pleased to say they’ve now confirmed that, starting next week, they’re trialling a new 5.31am train from Bedwyn which will stop at Thatcham at 5.54am,” he added. “It connects to a GWR service at Reading, giving commuters a reliable early route to London Paddington.
"If you use this service, or know someone who does, please do give it a try and share your feedback. The more people who use it, the greater chance we have of making this trial a permanent fixture."
