New service praised by rail action group (From Gazette Series)

New service praised by rail action group

SUNDAY rail services to Cam and Dursley station will be vastly improved from this weekend.

The new summer rail timetable, operated by Wessex Trains, starts on Sunday, June 12, and it has been given a resounding welcome by local service monitor Dr Clive Mowforth.

Dr Mowforth, from the Coaley Junction Action Group (CoJAC), praised the decision to increase the number of trains travelling each way from one up to five or six, all running to and from Cheltenham and most running to and from Weston-super-Mare.

He said: "This is a great improvement. It will allow a huge range of day trips for leisure or shopping and allow long-distance travellers to leave or return home before Mondays."

There are some significant changes on other days as well.

On Saturdays, the 8.16am train is extended to Cheltenham, Worcester and Great Malvern and many more trains will run to and from Weston-super-Mare to meet the seasonal demand for trips to the seaside.

The late train back from the south on weekdays will run 30 minutes later and start from Southampton.

Dr Mowforth added: "This will allow people to spend the evening in Bath or beyond and still manage to return to Cam and Dursley on a through train." On weekdays, the approximately hourly service on the Bristol-Cheltenham route is maintained.

All trains call at Yate but alternate off-peak services will continue to pass through Cam & Dursley without stopping.

The commuter service to Gloucester at 7.48am is retained, although Dr Mowforth would like to see further improvements.

He added: "This has proved popular since being moved from 8.10am but it is impossible to meet everyone's requirement with a single train. "There is a need for a train before and after this time and we will continue to lobby Wessex Trains."

This summer timetable is likely to be the last one operated by Wessex Trains. From next April a new franchisee is due to take over an expanded portfolio including the current services of Wessex Trains, Great Western and Great Western Link.

Copies of the latest issue of CoJAC's Local Rail Guide can be obtained from the website: www.cojac.com