MP and RUGs continue to press for timetable and service reliability improvements
NE Herts MP Oliver Heald arranged the meeting at Parliament with new Great Northern MD Tom Moran and Manager Patrick Ladbury.
The Letchworth RUG was represented by Leanne Stott and Stephen Rose with Daniel Matthews for Baldock and Royston’s Edward Carder had briefed Leanne in advance.
There was a constructive discussion with requests for further timetable improvements in the week and particularly at weekends, with continuing concerns about weekend reliability. However, it was clear that driver recruitment and training has greatly increased, pointing to future reliability improvements aided by new trains.
Other issues discussed included longer term infrastructure, off-peak ticketing policy on timings and the welcome news of electronic carnets in the pipeline and station improvements under the Passenger Benefit Fund.
Commenting Oliver said ‘I am grateful to Tom Moran and GN for recent meetings and to the RUGs for their huge input on behalf of local passengers. Things are improving and there are grounds for optimism about the number of trained drivers and new stock. I will keep pressing with the RUGs for further improvements and welcome the news that stations will be enhanced and electronic carnets are coming.’
Photo courtesy of Sir Oliver Heald MP. From left to right: Patrick Ladbury, Leanne Stott, Tom Moran, Oliver Heald, Daniel Matthews and Stephen Rose in Portcullis House, Westminster 10 September 2019.