Tamworth commuters disrupted by London Midland services to receive free passes and cheap tickets
TRAIN passengers from Tamworth that were hit by London Midland's service crisis over the last year will receive free passes and cheap tickets, the Government announced today.
Transport minister Norman Baker has spoken of the news amid "tough action" from the Government, after a shortage of drivers led to cancelled services and lengthy delays.
London Midland season ticket holders will be given five days worth of free travel passes under a £7 million package of benefits - and the Government has also secured 500,000 additional cheap advance tickets for passengers on key routes, including the Crewe to London Euston service that runs through Tamworth.
Norman Baker said: "London Midland has cancelled or delayed hundreds of services in recent months. On repeated occasions, they were not able to provide enough drivers and some services had to be cancelled, with severe delays to services, and they have fallen short both of everyone's expectations and their franchise obligations.
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"Securing these benefits for passengers represents a firm yellow-card for London Midland and some financial benefit for those who have been hardest hit by their poor performance."
The free tickets will be available to all monthly and annual season ticket holders, as well as to weekly ticket holders who have been affected by disruption, while the additional Advance tickets will be available over the next two years to passengers planning to travel on key London Midland routes.
Richard Brooks, London Midland's commercial director, said: "While the temporary driver shortage has been addressed, we clearly recognise that recent disruption has been unacceptable to passengers and not what we expect of ourselves.
"We apologise for the recent disruption and are now focused on returning to our previous high levels of performance."
Comments
by timebandit70
Sunday, December 23 2012, 9:07PM
“Great news for the compensation, however it is not fair for me as I regularly travel to Lichfield to attend a further education course, and use the lower level trains service provided by London Midland and further use London midland trains on their route Lichfield Trent Valley to Lichfield City, this has been adversly affected with frequent cancelled services causing substantial difficulties for me and many others when using this option for travel, I have often in recent months had to travel via Birmingham as it has been quicker to return home and reliable with alternate service providers, but at greater cost to me and others, and this option has been several times advised to us by station staff. Who covers my costs and where is our compensation, what did anyone do to secure our situation. London Midland is our principle provider and station manger and provider of facilities, yet along with many others who due to costings pay daily for a ticket as you dont appreciate education isnt a five day week situation, and as such a weekly pass or season ticket is cost restrictive and unsuitable to our situation, and a railcard is unsuitable until after peak services, this is when I need to travel, hence we as commuters for educational purpose to Lichfield in our instance gain nothing and seems have again to just "PUT UP WITH IT". Not fair. Comments.”