Biggleswade and Sandy rail users get the chance to quiz Govia boss at MP's meeting
Rail users frustrated with the standard of service are getting the chance to quiz Govia Thameslink chief John Whitehurst at a public meeting.
North Beds MP Richard Fuller has organised the meeting in response to ongoing problems with the Peterborough to Horsham line, which he says culminated in unprecedented levels of disruption over the summer.
And after years of meetings to push for improvements, Chief Operations Officer of GTR has now agreed to attend a public meeting in Biggleswade.
Speaking directly to constituents in a video appeal, Mr Fuller said: “[Y]ou have probably been as frustrated, if not more frustrated, than I have been over the years with the unreliability of the service, the station skipping, the inability sometimes to be sure about when you'll get home or whether you'll get to work on time. Well, after many years of asking GTR for improvements, last year the Chief Operating Officer John Whitehurst said that he would come and talk to local residents and answer their questions.”
He added: “Following my discussions with GTR’s Chief Operations Officer (COO), John Whitehurst, I asked him to come to a public meeting in the constituency to hear and address the concerns of rail users affected by the poor service.”
Residents will have the chance to ask questions about the current level of service and improvements they want to see along with the next steps GTR plans to take.
Since 2020, Mr Fuller has pushed for measures including increased driver numbers and carriage numbers, more peak time services and improved messaging for rail users.
He said: “Whilst some small improvements have been observed at times, the service continues to fall short of expectations and customer needs.”
The meeting will take place on Thursday, March 5 at 7.30pm at The Orchard Centre, Sullivan Court, Kings Reach, Biggleswade, SG18 8SZ, and is expected to run for around two hours.