GHOST TRAIN

9:47am Wednesday 31st January 2007

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By Cathy Anstey »

RAIL users in Worcester, Pershore and Evesham must sometimes wonder if the Bermuda Triangle has relocated to Worcestershire.

In the past six weeks, the first train of the day from Paddington - the 6.03am - has left London but regularly failed to reach those Worcestershire stations and terminate at Worcester Foregate Street at 8.15am.

The vanishing train means that schoolchildren and commuters have been stranded on a number of occasions and forced to find alternative transport or wait for the next train, the 7.52am service from Paddington.

It also affects all those people who have bought tickets and expect to travel on that train which turns round and goes back to London at 8.24am. Leaving them to wait two hours for the 10.23am.

But unlike the missing aircraft and ships in the Bermuda Triangle, there is no mystery surrounding the disappearing 6.03am from Paddington.

According to First Great Western, which operates that service, if that train is running late it can disrupt the rest of the services on the line because of the long sections of the Cotswold line that are single track.

It therefore can be terminated and turned around at other stations en route from Paddington to Foregate Street.

One passenger reported that the 6.03am failed to reach Foregate Street on any day between Wednesday, December 13, and Wednesday, January 3.

Chairman of the Cotswold Line Promotion Group Derek Potter said: "The reliability of that train seems to have deteriorated since the new timetable in December.

"There doesn't seem to be one reason for it. It could be a technical fault with the train. If staff are late arriving at Paddington it can make it late.

"I know it has been turned around at Oxford because it is running late. On other occasions it has got to Worcester Shrub Hill but not to Foregate. The busiest trains at that time of the day are travelling towards London. This train is going against the flow. If it is allowed to run late it will meet trains coming in the other direction and there are long sections of single track.

"It is not the heaviest loaded train and First Great Western would say it is one they are able to sacrifice. But it is an important train because it picks up school children at Evesham travelling to Worcester and other commuters into Worcester."

However, First Great Western has now promised to monitor its reliability and try to ensure a better service.

A spokesman said: "This is the first service of the day and if it suffers late running for any reason, this impacts on the full morning timetable of later trains for many customers, through subsequent knock-on effects and therefore has had to be terminated short of its destination on several occasions.

"This is a consequence, in part, of the single line issues on the Cotswold line.

"First Great Western apologises to customers on this service and assures them that we are aware of the issue and are closely monitoring it."

SEE COMMENT IN OPINION.

MISSING TRAIN MEANS MISSED APPOINTMENTSMONDAY morning's 8.15am arrival at Foregate Street was cancelled due to mechanical problems. It meant commuters had to go to Shrub Hill to catch the return to London.

Barry Lockwood, aged 60, from Barboune , was trying to get to London Paddington for a work conference and said he would be at least half an hour late for his meeting.

He said: "I'm enraged. The same thing happened to me two or three weeks ago. They said it was cancelled but in actual fact the train left from Shrub Hill. It's misinformation."

Alison Straker, aged 32, from Hereford said: "I will be very late for a meeting. It means you have to leave stupidly early."

Malvern woman, Rosemary Thorp, 67, had to run from Worcester Foregate Street to Worcester Shrub Hill, with a back-pack to catch the train to Paddington.