Concern over train services
Wednesday 21st January 2009, 3:03PM GMT.
Train passengers in Telford are being given unreliable information and left on freezing platforms, a leading politician has claimed.
David Wright, Labour MP for Telford, has called on London Midland, the train operator which manages the station, to improve passenger facilities at Telford Central.
He also wants more seats on the trains from the station, after being told by residents that they are often left standing.
Mr Wright said: “I have been approached by a number of constituents voicing concern at the state of the train service.
“There is considerable concern from constituents about the staffing arrangements at the station with the station regularly being locked and no staff present.
“Passengers are regularly being left to stand on freezing cold platforms, while the display board shows inaccurate information which doesn’t link in with the Tannoy announcements.”
Mr Wright said he has written to Stephen Banaghan, London Midland managing director, asking him to consider extending the opening hours for the waiting room and asking what progress the company has made on increasing train seating capacity.
“I would like to know what alternative the company is going to put in place to ensure customers are not left standing outside when the station is closed,” he said.
“Also, a number of constituents have complained to me that the illuminated signs at the station do not necessarily carry up-to-date real-time information on train departures.”
Mr Wright said, while he was delighted progress was being made with updated trains, more needed to be done to ensure people continued to be attracted to travel on the railway.
London Midland, which manages Telford Central station on behalf of Network Rail, operates services between Shrewsbury and Birmingham New Street, via Telford.
A spokesman for London Midland said today: “We can confirm we have received a letter from David Wright and it is something we will be looking into.”
By Andrew Morris
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Telford Central is a terrible station. It could do with better buildings on both platforms, and some terminating platforms and while we’re at it a bit of electrification please as well.
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Telford isn’t there best station in the world but it is far better that a lot out there. The station is open from 0600 until 1930 at night, surely people can’t complain about that?
Also there are canopies over the platforms so when the sation is closed people do not get soaked.
I think that the staff at Telford work extremely hard and are put under a lot of pressure, they should be commended for all their effort.
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I agree with Mary, the station that should be sorted out is Wellington, there ticket office is hardly open and I don’t think they have a waiting room. Look at Oakengates station as well, there’s nothing there.
Grey, where will the put the terminating platforms, it will mean digging up there new car park. besides, why have terminating platforms there anyway, what use are they, Wellingtons terminating sides are hardly used, it will be a waste of tax payers money.
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Build a Multi Storey car park on the existing car park which is an aim of the existing Local Transport Plan anyway, this would free up a relatively large amount of land, enough to provide improved facilitiies and terminating platforms. These platforms combined with one at Wellington, plus the frieght lines to the Power Station and the rail-freight depot could then form the basis of suburban local services. Passenger stations could then be built on the frieght only lines and we would have beginings of a decent public transport system.
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The staff at Wellington are helpful as can be but they’re working in freezing conditions, often lone working and as someone above said, there’s no waiting room for customers also. There is a cafe, admitted, and now a ticket machine but on the far platform which doesn’t help us Shrewsbury commuters in a hurry due to late buses!
Wellington’s bay is no longer used and they took up the track on what was the second bay years ago for the carpark which is packed out most mornings and evenings. It’s a very used station with very limited facilities and a lot of neglect on the part of rail people in general.
With the potential Wellington has and its location, it should surely get more attention to fix it than Telford’s inconveniently placed station should.
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I think Grey has unrealistic and uneconomic ambitions. Heavy rail is not the answer to creating a public transport network within Telford – the infrastructure and train provision costs would be too large to support such a small town where the business is concentrated around the perimeter and individual flows for communters into the cities would be too small to break even. A good network of buses that feed into the trains would be better or if we had an endless pot of cash, a tram network would be the ultimate achievement.
Sadly the reality of UK 2008 is that Telford is built for the car, populated by car lovers and governed by car loving councillors who crumple at the first sight of dissent – just look at the reaction to the traffic lights that have disturbed the flows on some routes.
What we need to push for, which is what the MP seems to be doing, is an increase in train length (don’t believe every statement about extra seats as they sometimes just squeeeze more in the corners) and better facilities at stations and car parks.
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Yes you make many sensible points it would be unrealistic although with the massive growth proposed for Telford who knows what could happen in the future. I would love a tram network but if even Birmingham can’t get funding for an extension if its tramline I doubt many other towns would.
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Telford, the ugly edifice to a famous Engineer, is perhaps typical of the ‘pov’ mentality of Britain. It is only noticed when you go to live in another Country.
I came to live in Brisbane-Australia 25 years ago. I am now disabled and have a mobility-scooter which is allowed on Trains-City Ferries-and certain Buses.
We have a large team of Paralympians coming to Britain in 2012, what on earth are you going to do! I visited Shrewsbury in 2007, having bought a mobility scooter on eBay, I was unable to take it even to Church Stretton! Never again!
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