Join:

Kerry McCarthy MP (Bristol East)
Pat Sikorski, Assistant General Secretary(RMT)
Nigel Costley, Secretary, South West TUC

Walk: 4.15-4.30pm
Walk with us to the Government Office for the South West,
to deliver our protest, or meet us there at 4.30pm (2, Rivergate, Temple Quay)

From 11 December 2006 First Great Western will cut train seats in Greater Bristol by 1,839 per day - 20%. Trains will be cut from 69 to 57 - over 18%.

Local trains are already at full capacity. Passengers complain of uncomfortable and alarming overcrowding, and rail staff have raised safety issues. Further cuts will force passengers onto congested roads, increasing pollution and road traffic accidents.

These drastic cuts will increase carbon emissions, flying in the face of the Stern Report. Government has already set challenging targets to cut carbon emissions - 20% by 2010 and 60% by 2050. Transport accounts for 25% of all UK carbon emissions - the vast majority produced by road transport. These cuts threaten environmentally friendly transport.

Train service cuts affecting Bristol and surrounding areas include:
• loss of early morning Cardiff-Bristol service;
• two-hour gaps at Oldfield Park, Keynsham and Patchway;
• reduced peak period services at Keynsham, Bedminster, Parson Street and Weston Milton;
• loss of early services between Bristol, Yate and Gloucester and late evening services at Yate, Cam and Dursley, Gloucester and Patchway;
• irregular intervals between trains from Bristol, Weston-super-Mare and Taunton, plus loss of connectivity on trains to/from London

Published by Bristol Rail Branch RMT - www.bristolrail.org.uk
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