St Albans commuters slam First Capital Connect (From St Albans & Harpenden Review)

St Albans commuters slam First Capital Connect

12:13pm Wednesday 17th March 2010 in News By Alex Lewis

COMMUTERS lambasted train company First Capital Connect at a meeting organised by local Lib Dems last night.

The meeting in Marlborough Road Methodist Church, held to discuss the company's problems over the winter and the possibility of ending its franchise, was addressed by the party's national transport spokesman Norman Baker and Parliamentary candidates Sandy Walkington and Nigel Quinton.

Mr Walkington said: "They have people over a barrel.

"They clearly do not meet their franchise requirements.

"There are consistent short formations - particularly at weekends, as if leisure passengers do not matter."

One commuter told the meeting how a double train failure had delayed her journey home from work by hours on Monday.

She said: "It is just horrible - I can't stand it any more."

Another said: "All the train companies should lose their franchises - it must be cheaper for the Government to run the rail network."

A more cynical train passenger said: "I don't like First Capital Connect either. I know people who have missed seeing their kids for night after night, and their staff attitude is terrible.

"But why wasn't this meeting two months ago, instead of now when a General Election is coming up?

"They are giving us a rubbish service, but they are just about managing to tick the boxes, so there is no chance of ending the franchise."

Mr Baker said: "First Capital Connect is notorious at Westminster among train companies - they had a catastrophic failure in the West Country."

He agreed that the franchise could not be broken until 2012, but outlined his policies for changing the way the Government deals with train companies.

He said the company running the East Coast Main Line had lost its franchise because of financial problems rather than service failures, and the system should be more passenger-focussed.

He also favours longer-term franchises to encourage investment, and tighter government control of fares and compensation.