News
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Many local residents who are customers of the First Capital Connect train service have written to me recently about the terrible service they have been receiving. I share your pain! I am a frequent commuter into London myself.
FCC have a lot to answer for: a poorly constructed employment contract that resulted in delays and rescheduling trains - even before the recent weather issues; and then one of the worst service records in the entire rail system with regard to dealing with the recent harsh weather.
I welcome the news that FCC have entered into a new contract with the unions that should hopefully result in a return to an acceptable service level.
On behalf of hundreds of local residents I have written to the CEO of First Capital Connect and will post the response when I receive it.
A copy of my letter can be found, below.
In addition, Andrew Selous, the neighbouring MP for SW Beds just submitted the follwing early day motion which he is encouraging other MP's to sign:
NEWS RELEASE FROM ANDREW SELOUS MP
21st January 2010
South West Bedfordshire MP Andrew Selous has tabled an Early Day Motion in the House of Commons about the very poor service for commuters and all passengers using First Capital Connect services from Luton or Luton Parkway into London. Andrew Selous said, “I have been contacted by a great many constituents who are really fed up with the disruption to their home and working lives from First Capital Connect’s unacceptably poor service recently. While the return of the full timetable recently is welcome, First Capital Connect must be on notice that further disruption to passengers could cost them their franchise. The travelling public deserve better. As we have lost so many local jobs, many of my constituents have no choice but to use the train to get to work and they must have a decent service.”
The Early Day Motion, number 670, has already been signed by 16 MPs and reads as follows,
That this House regrets the recent disruption to First Capital Connect (FCC) services travelling into London; deplores the recent severe reduction in timetabled services which was brought about by a shortage of drivers employed by First Capital Connect and delays on the part of the Department for Transport in the delivery of rolling stock, and which meant that commuters had to find alternative routes into work and school, adding considerable time and expense to their daily journeys; notes that FCC are now operating the full timetable with effect from 15 January 2010 and have secured an agreement with drivers; congratulates hon. Members on the Shadow Transport Team in having made personal and direct representations to the management on behalf of commuters; calls on First Capital Connect to guarantee an improved service and to make appropriate compensation to passengers; further calls on unions to agree to keep to the agreement reached with First Capital Connect so that improved service can be delivered; and further calls on the Government to ensure that improved service levels are met and enforced.
Ms Mary Grant
Chief Executive
First Capital Connect
Hertford House
1 Crandwood Street
London
EC1V 9QS
17 January 2010
Dear Ms Grant:
I am the PPC for Luton South. As Ms Margaret Moran MP has effectively already retired from politics, many people are writing to me with their concerns and issues on a range of topics.
I am sure it will not surprise you to know that I have been inundated with emails, letters and calls in the last few weeks regarding the terrible service that customers of yours – many of whom pay thousands of pounds a year in season tickets – have received. I also have to declare an interest that I am a customer of First Capital Connect myself!
I am sure you are all too aware of the anger and frustration of your customers. Many residents have copied me in on their correspondence to your organization recently, too.
As you are well aware, there are 3 mainline stations in Luton which you serve: two of them in the Luton South constituency which I aspire to represent.
Transport infrastructure is key to Luton’s success as a place to live and as a place for business. The rail links provide a pivotal role in marketing Luton and sustaining our competitiveness and attractiveness. It is unacceptable, given all the other challenges that the town faces, that we should add a poorly perceived rail service to the list of issues we have to face.
I am especially disappointed that the Bedford to Brighton First Capital Connect service is so clearly one of the poorest performing services in the entire network AND is widely perceived as such. Unless you are able to quickly turn this reputation around, you and your management will do untold damage to the Luton economy.
I know that many people including some local politicians are calling for your franchise to be revoked. I am not sure that is the right course of action at this moment in time.
But what I can say is that it is essential that you do the following:
• Apologise to your customers;
• Make it easy for them to apply for and receive adequate compensation for recent inconvenience;
• Explain fully to your customers the reasons for the recent service issues and in particular why it is that you claim that your rolling stock were unable to operate in recent weather conditions when other services were able to continue operations unaffected; and
• Ensure that future labour contracts are not reliant on overtime and weekend work that you can not guarantee and which may risk quality of service (or indeed the very existence of service)
Can I receive your personal assurance that such undertakings will be performed?
It is not enough just to apologise to your customers , you need to provide an assurance that you and your team are taking action to ensure that this recent debacle will never happen again.
Regards,
Nigel Huddleston
Conservative Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for Luton South
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