A consultation has been launched to give passengers, local councils and other interested groups the chance to say what improvements and changes they want to see delivered by the new Great Western rail franchise, which is set to be renewed in 2013.
Theresa Villiers said: “This consultation launch represents an excellent opportunity for passengers to make their mark and tell us what changes they think should be made. This is their chance to tell us how train services can better serve passengers. “The franchise will be one of the first to be let on a 15 year term. We will expect the train operator chosen to run the franchise to provide high quality services, deliver improved levels of passenger satisfaction, roll out smart ticketing for thousands more journeys, and invest in improvements that will benefit passengers.”
“The winning bidder will also need to build successful working relationships with Network Rail aimed at improving efficiency and reducing the cost of running the railways. The coming years will also see a major improvements to Great Western rail infrastructure.”http://www.dft.gov.uk/news/press-releases/dft-news-20111222a
David Gambles
