From the
Gloucestershire Gazette:
Rail passengers in Yate have welcomed the addition of an extra carriage on a packed morning service.
Commuters have complained for years that the 8.09am train into Bristol Temple Meads is cramped and overcrowded. On a number of occasions, people have been left stranded after the service, which starts in Gloucester, has been full by the time it reaches Yate. But on Monday, rail operator First Great Western increased the number of carriages on the service from two to three.
Julian Crowe, regional manager for the West of England for First Great Western, said: "We are delighted to provide this additional carriage to serve the residents of Yate. This is a very popular service and hopefully the additional carriage will provide a more pleasant journey for existing commuters and attract even more people to make the switch to rail."
Northavon MP▸ Steve Webb held talks with First Great Western bosses earlier this year urging them to fund extra carriages on the Yate to Bristol line. He told the Gazette this week: "The trains from Yate are a cattle market and I told First Great Western in no uncertain terms that it was a disgrace. Extra carriages are not being funded in the rest of the region and it has been made quite clear that the only reason for the extra carriage on this route is because of the pressure we put on First Great Western."
He added: "Clearly this is welcome and at this time of year in particular. However, the trains back from Bristol will still be overcrowded and I very much see this as one small step on a very long journey."
South Gloucestershire Council has been working with the rail company to provide extra carriages.
Cllr Brian Allinson, executive member for planning, transportation and strategic environment, said: "This extra carriage should bring much needed additional capacity on what is already a hugely overcrowded peak service from Yate. This is a welcome step in the right direction and goes some way towards addressing commuters^ concerns, but we will continue to work positively with First Great Western to tackle the remaining issues that local rail passengers raise."
He added: "We are also working on achieving extra capacity on other local rail services to alleviate overcrowding and also getting improvements at Bristol Parkway Station."
Linda Swainger, manager at Bristol Parkway and Yate station, said: "There are some days when commuters cannot get on to some services ^ such is their popularity. We have listened to passengers and are pleased to be able to increase the capacity on this particular peak service."
Cllr Matthew Riddle (Con, Severn) has campaigned for extra carriages on behalf of elderly people in his role as the council's older people's champion and also set up the Yate Train Action group. He said: ^Local elderly residents often struggle to get on the train at Yate during peak times and are simply not in a position to be able to stand even if they can squeeze on. This extra carriage is exactly the sort of meaningful improvement that commuters of all ages have been demanding. But we now need to redouble our efforts to ensure that more capacity is added to other services, as well as having more frequent services and a more reasonable pricing structure.^
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