Vince Cable

Stage Coach, owner of SW Trains, is to make a fresh bid for the franchise when it is renewed shortly. Vincent Cable, MP, is to meet its representatives during the next few weeks and welcomes local feedback before making proposals to them:

"When I have carried out surveys of local passengers in the past, I have had very negative feedback, but there has been a big improvement in the rolling stock and in the stations and some improvement in punctuality; though peak hour trains are still very overcrowded and journey times take longer".

"The big requirement locally is faster and more frequent trains on the 'loop-line' via Strawberry Hill, Teddington and Hampton Wick and especially on the line to Hampton; also fast trains which stop at St Margarets and better timed trains at Whitton. The original franchise committed SW Trains to more frequent and improving services but these were dropped when the franchise was shortened by the government."

"The issues are complicated because SW Trains depend on Network Rail to provide the track and it is bottlenecks in the capacity of the system which are at the root of a lot of the problems".

"What I want to find out from local residents is whether we should stick with the 'devil we know' - despite its rather chequered history - or go for a new franchise company, starting from scratch".