Justin Tomlinson MP surveys plans to improve the line between Bristol and London
through Swindon
First Great Western have this morning announced a significant increase in the number of carriages on trains serving Swindon. The company will be adding an extra Standard Class carriage on 18 High Speed Trains that currently run with seven passenger carriages.
This will mean an additional 750 Standard Class seats across the peak (morning and evening) for Swindon.
We should start to see all these changes from spring 2012 with all High Speed Trains running with eight carriages by September next year. The changes have been made possible thanks to Government support to convert 15 Mark III buffet-car carriages to standard class.
Justin Tomlinson MP (North Swindon) said, “First Great Western has been able to achieve this improvement for Swindon thanks to significant support from the Government. It proves we’re serious about public transport and are always listening to the concerns of commuters and businesses”.
Robert Buckland MP (South Swindon) said, “We have been lobbying hard for extra capacity for Swindon rail passengers for some time, so I’m delighted with this news. Coupled with the earlier announcement about the electrification of the line, this will be a real boost for Swindon”.
Mark Hopwood, Managing Director, First Great Western said, “We have received a great deal of support from Members of Parliament, local authorities and other key partners in our discussions. There will still be some very busy services at peak times. The agreement is however a further very significant step forward and one that will improve the quality of service for many of our customers. It is a boost to our efforts to increase capacity on services for Swindon throughout this franchise and beyond”