Transport -
Trains 7
A
wheelchair-bound passenger on her way to discuss
disabled facilities with rail chiefs was sent on
a two-hour round trip simply to change platforms.
Ann Bates was stunned when told she would have to
travel via Luton Airport to cross platforms at
City Thameslink station in London. Thameslink has
described the move as a "ludicrous moment of
panic" by station staff.
Problems started for Ms Bates, from Worthing,
West Sussex, when she had to leave from West
Worthing station rather than her local one
because a new lift had been left out of order by
flooding. Then, because of another broken lift,
she was unable to leave a northbound platform at
City Thameslink to cross to a southbound
platform. Ms Bates, on her way to a meeting of
the Strategic Rail Authority at the Department of
Transport, was not able to use the station's
escalator and so expected staff to find another
solution. Instead a staff member said she would
have to travel to Luton Airport and change
platforms there before travelling back again.
Thameslink spokesman Martin Walters, said,
"I can only put this down to a human failing
and say it appears to have been due to a moment
of panic. We cannot understand why staff did not
take her out of the station and find another
route to the platform, or take her to Blackfriars
station 300 yards away or put her in a taxi. It
was a ludicrous thing to do. We are deeply sorry
for what has happened to Ann who we know well and
who does a lot of work for us. We have spoken to
her and she is being very understanding. We are
trying to find out who spoke to her and then we
will take action."
More
than 100 trains a day are to be scrapped in an
effort to cut congestion. The Strategic Rail
Authority (SRA), the government body overseeing
the railways, said the move would improve
punctuality. But rail union the RMT said the move
was "lunacy", and a business leader
described it as "crazy". Services
affected will be those between Oxford and Bristol
on First Great Western and Thames, with 18 trains
withdrawn and no more direct links between the
two cities.
Central Trains is cutting 32 train services on
the Crewe to Manchester Airport part of the
Manchester Airport to East Midlands route.
Central Trains' Derby to Birmingham stretch of
the Matlock to Birmingham route will have
services reduced by 12. South Central's
Southampton to Bournemouth segment of the London
to Bournemouth route will see 30 fewer trains.
There will also be some cuts to Virgin's
cross-country services, which use the new Voyager
trains.
About six cross-country services will be cut
north of Edinburgh, but more carriages will be
added to peak-hour trains. Across the country
there are now 20% more trains than there were at
privatisation, and many routes have become
severely congested. George Muir, of the
Association of Train Operating Companies, backed
the move as one way of preventing "overall
deterioration". He said the services had to
be cut because congestion was causing
"excessive delays" for passengers.
Anthony Smith of the Rail Passengers Council
said: "Passengers will be very disappointed
in some parts of the country, where there will be
a loss of service." He said the services had
been introduced in response to passenger demand,
and people were now used to using them. Bob Crow,
general secretary of the biggest rail union the
RMT, strongly criticised the cuts, saying:
"There is nothing strategic about the
Strategic Rail Authority. It is lunacy to suggest
that by cutting services you will improve them...
we need more services, not less."
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