Commuters ‘perplexed’ by rail service changes

The government has announced that the First Capital Connect contract to run the Thameslink route is to end 18 months early, and will finish in September 2013.

But a commuter group has said it is concerned that the changes might have negative impact on already pressured train services.

Andrew Long, of the Bedford Commuters Association, said he had been unable to find out why the change had been made, and described the move as “perverse”.

He said: “It is very strange. It has been pushed through by the Transport Secretary Phillip Hammond to end 18 months early.

“Although there are changes to several other franchises, those have all been extended, not ended early.”

The Bedford-Brighton line has been run by First Capital Connect since April 2006, and was due to go out to tender again when the contract ends in 2015.

Mr Long said there had been shortcomings with the service provided by FCC, but warned that a new operator might make the situation worse.

He said: “I think most people are saying ‘Better the devil you know’.

“The timetable is very good now, and over the last month or so the service does seem to have been operating quite well.

“There is always the possibility of a new firm coming in and reducing the number of trains or increasing fares. I think commuters might be apprehensive about what the future might hold.”

A spokesman for First Capital Connect said it had delivered capacity on trains by 22 per cent since 2008, and would continue with improvements, including new 12-car trains, until the end of its franchise.