Chiltern Railways insists Beaconsfield will get better trains

12:23pm Wednesday 17th October 2012 in News By Lawrence Dunhill

Rail chiefs insist Beaconsfield will get better trains Rail chiefs insist Beaconsfield will get better trains

RAIL chiefs insist Beaconsfield passengers will get a better service from December – despite the prospect of fewer trains from their station each day.

Chiltern Railways boss Rob Brighouse was challenged about the reduction at a Beaconsfield Town Council meeting last week – with Cllr Philip Bastiman complaining the firm’s new timetable would mean ten fewer trains per day for the town.

But Mr Brighouse said the soon-to-be-published schedule would provide more evenly spaced services with 600 more seats into London in the morning peak, which would be more useful for passengers.

And he said the 7.49am train from Beaconsfield to London would be saved after it was cut from a draft timetable.

Cllr Bastiman, who commutes to London, says the restoration of the 7.49 is "good news", but told the meeting there have still been issues with a lack of seats, train cancellations and carriages out of service.

Chiltern Railways says the increasing demand for train services has made it more difficult to keep up with the volume of maintenance work - which can cause cancellations.

The firm has maintenance depots in Aylesbury and Wembley but is currently seeking another location to keep up with demand.

Mr Brighouse told the meeting: “There are standards on cancellations we have to achieve and we’ve had a bit of a wobble I accept that.”

“[We are] trying to come up with some short term fixes to make better use of those depots.

“Compromises are being made which means I’m not 100 per cent confident about the quality of the services, but compromises are not made on safety.”

However, he said the firm ran 97.5 per cent of its trains on time last month which made it the “top performing train operator”.

The new timetable will be available next month.

Story amended on October 19 to clarify that the 7.49am is not a new train. It will be restored to the new timetable after it was removed in a draft version.

Comments (7)

12:39pm Wed 17 Oct 12

Malc London says...

What Chiltern needs to do is ensure they keep the outer London commuter happy as well, and not rely solely on trains into London.

Twice this last year, local commuters have been stranded when stations were missed out without notice when there were cancellations and delays.

The future of train transport is not London to Birmingham non-stop, but servicing the towns and villages inbetween.
What Chiltern needs to do is ensure they keep the outer London commuter happy as well, and not rely solely on trains into London. Twice this last year, local commuters have been stranded when stations were missed out without notice when there were cancellations and delays. The future of train transport is not London to Birmingham non-stop, but servicing the towns and villages inbetween. Malc London

12:55pm Wed 17 Oct 12

pennman says...

Will the 0749 be a non-stopper like the packed 0801? I bet not. We put up with a lot of disruption whilst they 'upgraded' the line and the only fast, non-stop train home is at 1610, useless for most people! Malc, London is absolutely right, stop prioritising the London to Brum service and concentrate on the commuters who are being short-changed.
Will the 0749 be a non-stopper like the packed 0801? I bet not. We put up with a lot of disruption whilst they 'upgraded' the line and the only fast, non-stop train home is at 1610, useless for most people! Malc, London is absolutely right, stop prioritising the London to Brum service and concentrate on the commuters who are being short-changed. pennman

3:43pm Wed 17 Oct 12

realist_highwycombe says...

The other issue is the cost. An off pay day return travelcard from Amersham to London is £11.60 (The vast majority of hours on the train timetable are off peak). The journey takes between 32 and 42 minutes depending on the train.

For a slow, stopping service from Wycombe or even a fast train which I think is around 25 minutes the same ticket is a staggering £19.50! And quite often as stated you are on a stopping train which takes LONGER than the Amersham train.

How an earth can Chiltern charge these sort of prices to use this service?

A quick look at similar stations show the cost for the above ticket as follows:
- Slough £12
- Maidenhead £14.30
- Hemel Hempstead £18
- Hatfield £17

All, apart from Slough are similar distances from London. All receive earlier and later running trains (Some pretty much 24 hours) and yet we still pay more! Its no wonder people still choose to drive!
The other issue is the cost. An off pay day return travelcard from Amersham to London is £11.60 (The vast majority of hours on the train timetable are off peak). The journey takes between 32 and 42 minutes depending on the train. For a slow, stopping service from Wycombe or even a fast train which I think is around 25 minutes the same ticket is a staggering £19.50! And quite often as stated you are on a stopping train which takes LONGER than the Amersham train. How an earth can Chiltern charge these sort of prices to use this service? A quick look at similar stations show the cost for the above ticket as follows: - Slough £12 - Maidenhead £14.30 - Hemel Hempstead £18 - Hatfield £17 All, apart from Slough are similar distances from London. All receive earlier and later running trains (Some pretty much 24 hours) and yet we still pay more! Its no wonder people still choose to drive! realist_highwycombe

5:52pm Wed 17 Oct 12

Voyeur says...

I often choose to drive...from High Wycombe to Amersham or Little Chalfont and take the Chiltern Line or Tube from there - same lower price and a lot cheaper than from High Wycombe.
I often choose to drive...from High Wycombe to Amersham or Little Chalfont and take the Chiltern Line or Tube from there - same lower price and a lot cheaper than from High Wycombe. Voyeur

7:36pm Wed 17 Oct 12

Marmite XO says...

Why don't people just cycle? Problem solved.
Why don't people just cycle? Problem solved. Marmite XO

12:34am Thu 18 Oct 12

ivor says...

Chiltern Railways should be congratulated on the excellent service they provide from Wycombe to London.
~
Have you read Ivor’s blog today? Click on the “BLOGS” link at the top of the page.
Chiltern Railways should be congratulated on the excellent service they provide from Wycombe to London. ~ Have you read Ivor’s blog today? Click on the “BLOGS” link at the top of the page. ivor

5:19pm Thu 18 Oct 12

chilternite says...

am i missing something? there is already a 7.49....?
am i missing something? there is already a 7.49....? chilternite

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