From December 11, First Great Western intends to cut train seats in greater Bristol by 1,839 a day - a 20 per cent cut; to slash trains from 69 to 57 - an 18 per cent cut, and to cut and reduce many services - details below.

On Friday, Bristol East MP Kerry McCarthy, Southwest TUC secretary Nigel Costley and RMT assistant general secretary Pat Sikorski will join local trade unionists and rail users in a walk from Bristol Temple Meads station to the government offices at Temple Quay, where they will hand a protest letter to the Transport Department.

The protest, organised by RMT's Bristol Rail branch, is also supported by Transport 2000, Friends of Suburban Bristol Railways and Save Severn Tunnel Junction Train Services

Meet: Brunel Shed car park, Bristol Temple Meads Station from 15:30

Walk: to Department of Transport from 16:15 to 16:30

"Trains in and around Bristol are already full to bursting, and these unnecessary cuts can only force people off trains and into cars, and that will mean more road congestion, more pollution and more accidents," RMT general secretary Bob Crow said today.

"If the government wants to meet the climate challenge set out so starkly by the Stern report it must tell First Great Western that these cuts are unacceptable.

"Kerry McCarthy has done rail users a service by tabling a House of Commons motion calling for rail capacity and service frequencies in Bristol and the west are maintained and improved (text and signatories to date below)

"We need to see greater rail capacity, more trains and more seats, and any attempt to cut them should be met with howls of protest," Bob Crow said.

ends

Notes for editors: Below are: a summary of the train service cuts affecting Bristol and the surrounding area; text of the Early Day Motion (311) tabled by Kerry McCarthy and signed to date by 28 MPs, and the text of the letter from Bristol East MP Kerry McCarthy, RMT general secretary Bob Crow and Southwest TUC secretary Nigel Costley to Tom Harris MP, the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Transport

Attached to this email is the appendix detailing capacity cuts referred to in the letter.

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

Early Day Motion 311, tabled by Kerry McCarthy and signed (at December 5) by 33 other MPs.

To check latest list of signatories visit http://edmi.parliament.uk/EDMi/EDMDetails.aspx?EDMID=31928&SESSION=885

FIRST GREAT WESTERN TRAIN SERVICE REDUCTIONS IN BRISTOL AND WEST OF ENGLAND

27.11.2006

McCarthy, Kerry

"That this House notes with concern that from 11th December 2006 users of First Great Western train services in the Bristol and West of England area will suffer the loss of their early morning train service from Cardiff to Bristol, early morning services and late evening services between Bristol and Gloucester, irregular intervals between trains from Bristol to Weston-super-Mare and Taunton, reduced capacity on short platform stations to Weston, such as Worle, loss of connectivity on trains to and from London and extensive reductions in train services to local stations in the Bristol area; further notes that First Great Western plans to reduce the amount of rolling stock used on train services in the Bristol area, including cutting Cardiff-Portsmouth trains from three to two coaches, an overall reduction of 1,839 seats, equating to a 20 per cent. cut in train seat availability, and a reduction in the number of trains from 69 to 57, equating to an 18 per cent. cut in trains; calls on the Government to urge First Great Western urgently to reconsider the reductions in levels of rolling stock on these key services, the consequences for overcrowding and forcing passengers onto the already heavily congested road network, with all the outcomes for increased carbon emissions, pollution and road traffic accidents that these train service cuts will lead to; and further calls on the Government to ensure that capacity and train service frequency in the Bristol and West of England area are maintained and improved."

Text of the letter from RMT general secretary Bob Crow, Bristol East MP Kerry McCarthy and Southwest TUC secretary Nigel Costley to Tom Harris MP, the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Transport

Reference: rail service cuts FGW Dec' 06

BY HAND

Tom Harris M.P.
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Transport
Department for Transport
2 Rivergate
Bristol
BS1 6EH

Dear Minister,

Subject: Planned Cuts to FGW Rail Services in Bristol and the West of England from December 2006

We are writing to you as representatives of rail workers and rail service users in the Bristol and West of England area to express our very grave concerns over impending planned rail service changes from 11 December 2006 that will have a marked effect on the people of Bristol and surrounding areas.

1. December 2006 Timetable

In February 2006 First Great Western (FGW) published a draft of the timetable they proposed to operate from December 2006. This was based on the "Service Level Commitment - SLC2", which formed part of the Franchise Agreement. Following consultation on 17 July 2006 FGW published a revised timetable for December. In the South West most of the suggested amendments had been taken on board, but in the Bristol (West of England Partnership) area, hardly any changes have been made in response to suggestions from local authorities and rail users' bodies. Those changes that FGW did make made the local train situation in our area even worse.

The case for amending the changes planned for December 2006 has not been helped by the wilful and utterly irresponsible abandonment by the Liberal Democrat-run Bristol City Council of any meaningful policy of encouraging improvements to local train services. Having announced in their February 2006 budget the withdrawal of the Council's historic and rather frugal annual budget for promoting rail services in Bristol and subsequently having axed the Council's one remaining rail officer, it may have appeared to some in the Department of Transport (DfT) that local train services were not a priority for the citizens of Bristol. We can assure you that this is an entirely erroneous impression. The people of Bristol including our members and constituents remain deeply attached to their local train services and it is a most inappropriate and retrograde step, in the year in which Bristol is celebrating the 200th anniversary of the birth of our railway pioneer, Isambard Kingdom Brunel, to preside over the dismantling of his wonderful railway.

It is clear that these cuts in services are completely contrary to the Government's stated aim of reducing carbon emissions. Even prior to the Stern Report, the Government has set itself challenging targets to reduce carbon emissions by 20% and 60% by 2010 and 2050 respectively. Carbon emissions from transport currently account for around 25% of all UK carbon emissions, the vast majority of which are produced by road transport. Great Western's proposals go completely against the growing political consensus of encouraging a more environmentally friendly approach to transport.

We remain deeply concerned over the following timetable issues affecting Bristol and the surrounding areas:

· loss of early morning service from Cardiff to Bristol;

· two-hour gaps in the middle of the day at Oldfield Park, Keynsham and Patchway;

· reduced peak period services at Keynsham, Bedminster, Parson Street and Weston Milton;

· loss of early morning services between Bristol, Yate and Gloucester and late evening services at Yate, Cam and Dursley, Gloucester and Patchway;

· irregular intervals between trains between Bristol, Weston-super-Mare and Taunton, plus loss of connectivity on trains to/from London

· irregular intervals between trains between Bristol and Severn Beach

2. Penalty Fares

In mid-September 2006 a poster appeared at stations and briefing handouts were issued to FGW staff with responsibility for revenue collection and protection announcing that FGW intended to implement a penalty fare regime from 1 October 2006. While Penalty fares are a tried and tested method for controlling fare evasion, such schemes need very careful implementation particularly at unstaffed and part-time staffed stations of which there are a large number in this area, where ticket machines will not deal with problems of high peak use. FGW had not carried out statutory consultation on these proposals and therefore was in breach of the Penalty Fare Regulations. The Franchise Agreement required FGW to implement a scheme by 1 October 2006. Proper consultation was not carried out and as a result FGW have been unable to fulfill the conditions of the Franchise Agreement.

3. Reduced Rolling Stock and overcrowding

We are dismayed and extremely concerned to discover that FGW intend to reduce the amount of rolling stock used on local train services in the Bristol area, by cutting the Cardiff-Portsmouth trains from 3 to 2 coaches and by not strengthening any peak period trains. Bristol local trains on all routes consist of 2 coaches throughout the day, but with trains strengthened to 3 or 4 coaches during the peak period (except for the Severn Beach line services). For a detailed breakdown of the reduction in rolling stock availability from December 2006 please refer to the attached Appendix.

Local trains are already stretched to capacity at the peak, with passengers frequently complaining of uncomfortable and alarming levels of overcrowding and rail staff on a number of occasions raising issues of passenger safety. Any further withdrawal of coaches will mean unacceptable levels of overcrowding and passengers left behind at stations.

Under current plans the rolling stock availability for local Bristol trains will reduce from 11 December 2006 with 8 (two coach) units going to Arriva Trains Wales for use on Wales & Borders Franchise services, while 7 (two coach) units will be lost to local Bristol train services going to strengthen train services in Merseyside. The overall reduction of 1,839 seats, equates to a 20% cut in train seat availability. The reduction in the number of trains from 69 to 57 equates to a 18% cut. Clearly this is a significant and serious reduction.

4. Urgent Action required on Rolling Stock - see Appendix

FGW has now agreed to put on extra coaches on certain trains on the Bristol-Westbury route and on the main morning service from Yate-Bristol. The significant problem is on the Bristol-Weston-Taunton and Cardiff-Bristol-Portsmouth routes.

Originally FGW proposed 3 High Speed trains (HST) would be used from Bristol-Weston-Taunton during the evening peak. When the timetable was recast in July, however, this was dropped to 2 HSTs - a loss of 350 seats.

Currently there are 2 trains from Bristol to Weston-Super-Mare and Taunton at 17.15 (2 coaches) and 17.25 (4 coaches). Two separate trains are needed because combining them into one 6-coach train would not fit on certain station platforms. However, from December 2006 only one 2-coach unit will be provided.

We urge you, Minister, to use your powers, through your Department to reconsider as a matter of urgent priority the reductions in levels of rolling stock on all the key services we have listed above. The consequences for passengers of overcrowding and packed trains leaving passengers behind will deter people from travelling by public transport, and force them onto the already heavily-congested road network, with all the outcomes for increased carbon emissions, pollution and road traffic accidents that this means.

On key strategic corridors, rail has an increasingly important role to play in Bristol and surrounding areas. Local rail use has doubled over the past 10 years and continues to grow. We are looking for DfT's support to ensure that sufficient coaches and train services are provided for this desirable and hopefully continuing growth.

It does appear to us that one part of the DfT is pushing FGW to withdraw trains from the Local Transport Plan while another part is pushing forward the agenda for tackling congestion and accessibility by encouraging a modal shift from private to public transport.

We would very much welcome the opportunity to meet with you to discuss all of these issues and to provide you and your officials with more details.

Yours sincerely,

Bob Crow
General Secretary,National Union of Rail, Maritime & Transport Workers

Kerry McCarthy M.P.
Bristol East

Nigel Costley
Secretary, South West TUC