MP Challenges Loss of Train Seats

1.56.04pm UTC (GMT +0000) Mon 23rd Oct 2006

A South West Train carriage

Vincent Cable MP is meeting the boss of SW Trains - Stewart Palmer - this week to discuss the new train franchise which has been, again, given to Stagecoach.

Vincent Cable is very concerned by reports that, having promised 20% more seating capacity on suburban trains, SW Trains is actually planning to reduce the number of seats by 160 for an eight car train.

"The first published details of the new franchise seemed very attractive with promises of more trains and less overcrowding. Now information is emerging, following a Freedom of Information request, that SW Trains is, instead, aiming to 'allow more people to stand in comfort'. Large numbers of seats are to be stripped out for wheelchairs and pushchairs. I am not in any way questioning the necessity for disabled provision, but the scale of the changes seems ludicrously excessive, especially for peak travel, and at the expense of commuters.

"Given the amount of taxpayers' money being poured into the railways we should be seeing a reduction in overcrowding, not an increase."