Train overcrowding worsening for Newbury passengers

Some services contain more than double the recognised capacity of passengers

NEWBURY commuters suffer some of the worst cases of overcrowding on trains in the entire south of the country, a Government study has uncovered.

Services from Reading to London are amongst the most crammed with the 6.37am First Great Western Reading to London Paddington service having more than double the number of passengers than its capacity of 304 on one of the days it was inspected.

First Great Western said it has recognised this service is crowded and plan to strengthen it if additional rolling stock can be provided.

The Department for Transport report: ‘London and South East ‘Top ten' overcrowded train services spring and autumn 2010' is based on services arriving at or departing from London during the morning and afternoon peak times,and data was collected until December 2010.

Hugh Jaeger for Railfuture Thames Valley, an independent passenger campaign group, said First Great Western needed to take better care of its passengers.

“In this industry we are known as PIXCs, passengers in excess of capacity. They don't have much respect for us. There is a problem in Newbury just as there is right across the Thames Valley.

“If you are coming out of Paddington back to the area, you will be lucky to get a seat before Reading.”

Mr Jaeger said he felt the Government's plan to improve rail by building a high-speed rail network was not what the public wanted.

“People want to be able to sit down, it's not about getting there quicker. If people aren't comfortable it will not encourage them to use trains.” Thames Valley Railfuture Chairman Richard Stow added: “Longer trains with more coaches should be just the first step. Reading station is a bottleneck, but once its £850 million redevelopment is completed in about 2016, Reading will have more tracks and more platforms for more trains to run through it. Thames Valley Railfuture hopes the extra track capacity will be used to give the Oxford, Cotswold and Newbury lines a more frequent service to benefit passengers.”

West Ilsley resident and West Berkshire Green party representative Adrian Hollister is a frequent user of the services from Newbury to London and he said Governments which have put profit over people have damaged the service.

“There is in no competition between rail operators in Newbury,” he said.

“We have only one incumbent supplier whose worries all come from the shareholder and not the rail user.

“So is there any surprise when the rail operators - First Great Western - look to cram as much profit (people) into each train?”

First Great Western failed to respond to Newburytoday.co.uk when approached.

Are you affected by crowded trains during your commute or daily journey? Email and send pictures to mark.taylor@newburynews.co.uk.