Poor performance

Barry Doe is correct in focusing on Great Western Railway’s poor recent performance ( RAIL 868), but to suggest this is largely due to electrification overlooks the contribution that FirstGroup is making to this situation.

This is a company with significant trading issues, which culminated in the recent exit of the chief executive. Cost-cutting can be felt across the whole of the service, from the “we don’t have the budget for the trolley service” quoted by Barry, through the lack of one train ticket checks (now a rarity), to the excessive delays in the delay refunds service.

One of the problems with the trolley service is the difficulty of moving through a crowded train, but often there are carriages with people seated on the floor despite there being many empty seats further down the train, which on-train staff could (and should) sort out.

Of course, the shocking performance of Network Rail in delivering the South Wales electrification is a key factor, with the Intercity Express Trains clearly straining to run in diesel mode, especially in the hot summer. But GWR management is doing nothing to counteract these problems for passengers.

Many of us in South Wales (and I suspect the South West) have felt for some time that FirstGroup is no longer fit to run this (or perhaps any other) franchise. Peter Fortune, Cardiff