Timetable consultation prompts thousands of responses

Train operator First Great Western has received thousands of responses to its consultation on the draft timetable for December 2006.

The feedback includes 3,350 individual emails and letters as well as petitions with a total of around 5,300 signatories.

The consultation period closed yesterday (8 March) and between now and June the company's timetable experts will look at each comment, suggestion and request received and assess which changes can be made to the timetable before it is introduced later this year.

The draft timetable is based on the Department for Transport's specification as set out in the original Invitation to Tender for the Greater Western franchise.

The contract states that a certain level of services must be operated but there is some flexibility to make changes.

Alison Forster, Managing Director of First Great Western, says: "We can only operate additional services, over and above those in the Department for Transport's specification, if services are commercially viable and there is capacity on the rail network to accommodate them.

"We won't be able to accommodate every suggestion but we do promise to look at all the feedback we have received and make changes where they are possible within the financial and timetable constraints of the franchise.

"We're extremely grateful to all those who have taken the trouble to make their views known. We know that there are concerns about some of the proposed changes in parts of our region and that's why we've given everyone the chance to give their feedback."

First Great Western timetable experts will analyse feedback and make timetable changes over the next three months. The revised timetable will need to be approved by the Department for Transport, Network Rail and industry partners including other train operators. The finalised timetable will be introduced early in December 2006.

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