Its all STJ today :
Letter to DfT :
To:
peter.west@dft.gsi.gov.ukCc: andrew.nock@dft.gsi.gov.uk; mike.mitchell@dft.gsi.gov.uk;
Subject: Severn Tunnel Junction
Good Morning Gentlemen,
You are no doubt aware of the disgraceful situation that I and my fellow commuters will find ourselves from the commencement of the Winter Timetable.
Our peak services from Severn Tunnel Junction into Bristol will be cut from six to two, and a similar cutting excercise in the evening peak on the return. The reason for this is still not clear, indeed there can be no logical reason for doing this, all of the trains are well used as I am sure that the many passenger surveys and ticket sales will tell you.
If I can just bring one item of information to your attention, in a recent commuter questionnaire carried out by the Save Severn Tunnel Action Group it was apparent that 23% of commuters will be lost to rail, are you happy with losing nearly a quarter of your daily fare payers?
What a terrible situation to find yourselves in when Government are actively encouraging peple to use public transport and then you sanction this.
Between the three of you, you have the authority and the power to put a stop order on the trains I have listed below, in time for next Monday, indeed I can see no reason why you would not do this simple and straight forward request, gentlemen, I urge you to reconsider for the sake of the hundreds of people who will be effected if these draconian cuts go ahead.
0630 and 0730 from Cardiff
1654 and 1754 from Bristol Temple Meads
Yours
Alan Vickers SSTAG
Press release :
Jessica Morden, Labour MP for Newport East is seeking an urgent meeting with the Rt. Hon. Douglas Alexander MP, Secretary of State for Transport, to press for a resolve to the impending crisis to the rail services at Severn Tunnel Junction, following First Great Western's decision to halve services from this station from 10 December.
Members of Parliament have united to demand that key First Great Western cuts aren't implemented. Welsh Assembly leaders and members have added their voices to those of the MPs.
Jessica Morden, MP for Newport East, said "we have had very good discussions with the Department for Transport so far and we believe they will support any workable solution that First Great Western and Network Rail propose. We are continuing to press for a solution to this problem, support is being shown from across the political spectrum in parliament for the motion I tabled last week. I would like to pay tribute to the efforts of the Save Severn Tunnel Campaign for their efforts to keep pushing for a solution and in maintaining the pressure on all involved"
Leaders of the action team aiming to halt the cuts to key services are asking that from 11 December:
the 06.44 and 07.44 services from Newport
the 16.54 and 17.54 from Bristol Temple Meads
all stop at Severn Tunnel Junction as they currently do.
At a public meeting on 22 November, First Great Western spokesman, Andrew Griffiths, Regional Manager for First Great Western, said the main reasons for the cuts were timetable management changes at Government level, and the company had no choice but to follow what the Department of Transport said. (Source: Monmouthshire Free Press: 29 November.)
But he previously admitted, in a letter to Brenda Lloyd, Clerk to Undy with Magor Community Council, on 27 October, that: 'It would seem that the needs of commuters were overlooked'.
Commenting on the current situation, campaign leader David Flint said 'We have been having tremendous support from all political parties, all it needs now is for First Great Western to show some goodwill'. David added 'After all, it was their failure to recognise the needs of Severn Tunnel commuters, and their failure to note the many objections to the new timetable, that led to this ridiculous situation.'
The plan to cut the rail service flies in the face of Government policy regarding Co2 emissions from cars, and the need to relieve congested roads.
Currently, approximately 170 commuters a day catch trains toward Bristol and Bath from Severn Tunnel Junction. These commuters live as far away as Cardiff and the Forest of Dean, as well as Newport, Monmouth, Raglan, Usk, Lydney, Chepstow and Caldicot. This number includes University students and school children. With no viable alternative except to drive to work, already busy roads will become even more congested, and the cost to commuters in parking and tolls on the Severn River Crossing will be around £12 a day.
Unless the timetable is amended it will be impossible for some workers (shift workers or those working in the construction industry) to travel by train. In addition, travellers wishing to use the train to get to London for early morning meetings will be forced to use a taxi or car to get them to Newport or Bristol Parkway Stations.
Notes to Editors:
Use of Severn Tunnel Junction has grown by 10.3% in the past two years. This is considerably higher than the average.
Of 53,650 journeys taken from the station, and going eastward through the Severn Tunnel, 38,388 (71.6%) were to Bristol Temple Meads. Other popular destinations in the same direction were Bath Spa (9.8%), Filton Abbey Wood (8.7%) and London*(1.1%).
Use of Filton Abbey Wood station has declined in the past two years and yet in the new timetable the service has increased to allow peak times stops approximately once every 7 minutes. The number of ticket issues from Cardiff (3,473), Newport (1,593) combined to Filton Abbey Wood this year to date = 5,066. Issues from Severn Tunnel to BTM were 11,942. This is 135% more! Incidentally the number of issues from STJ to FAW is only 2.2% less than issues from Newport.) (To November).
There is just one commuter Bus that arrives in Bristol before 9.00am. This is already 'standing room only' from Chepstow.
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