Written evidence submitted by Leigh Trifari (RTC0088)

I submit as evidence my email to Great Northern Customer Service from this past May regarding the travesty of the “new and improved” train schedules.

There is absolutely no doubt that the so-called “improved schedules” have negatively impacted my daily life and my ability to get to needed destinations.  I am a very busy actress and singer and  I commute from Downham Market to Cambridge on a weekly basis. There are ALWAYS issues with trains being late or trains being cancelled, particularly on the return portion. Trains to Kings Lynn and other points north of Ely are ALWAYS packed to the gills during the late afternoon/early evening rush hour. It is completely and utterly unreasonable to expect people to be packed like sardines for a 38-minute train ride. In fact, tonight I noted more passengers getting off the train at Downham Market than at Ely, which indicates more cars are needed to service stations beyond Ely. But that is a separate issue altogether.

There have been cancellations due to unannounced or incomplete repair works and also an insufficient number of drivers. One evening , it took my almost two hours to get home after a rehearsal.  The schedule as it exists relies on trained drivers being willing to work overtime and since overtime is not compulsory, many drivers are simply just calling out.  This is unacceptable as well. Regardless of the schedule, the absentee drivers must be held accountable for their actions and in turn, be rewarded for taking on overtime shifts when needed.

I would have submitted video from my train ride tonight, except my phone needed charging and all the available outlets were blocked by people smashed into seats and sardine positions.  But rest assured, I will be making more videos in the days to come until this issue is rectified.

September 2018

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Title
[…]
 lt
First name
LEIGH
 
Surname
TRIFARI
 
Address line 1
[…]
 
Address line 2
[…]
 
Town/City
[…]
 
 

County
[…]
 
Postcode
[…]
 
Email
[…]
 
Telephone
[…]
 
Departure Station
DOW
 
Arrival Station
CBG
 
Departure Date
21-05-2018
 
Departure Hours
22
 
Departure Minutes
38
 
Ticket Type
Daily
 
Photocard Number
[…]
 
Feedback Subject
Journey Disruption
 
Feedback Type
Complaint
 
Comments
Dear Northern Rail,
I have been relying on your service to attend weekly music rehearsals in Cambridge, which run from 18:45-21:45. I have been fortunate to be able to make the 22:10 trains back home to Downham Market, but after viewing your new "IMPROVED" timetables commencing 20/5/18, I am extremely upset that the 22::10 train now ends in Ely, thus leaving me stranded for an additional 30 minutes, trying to get home after a challenging rehearsal. I will now, according to your schedule, have to take a 22:38 train from Cambridge, which gets me to Downham Market at 23:17. That's nearly 5 hours after I l get into Cambridge for my rehearsals..
During the late winter and early spring, I saw plenty of signage and literature boasting "improved service" beyond Cambridge, but apparently, you have forgotten about anything north of Ely, and that people in Downham Market and King's Lynn require adequate train service as well. I have ridden your trains enough to know that people actually DO go to Downham Market and King;s Lynn! The deleted trains and inconvenient delays created by your new time tables will mean more of my time is going to be wasted sitting in darkened train stations (as Cambridge shutters up its cafes and eateries at about 22:00 now, and Ely is already dark after 22:30). What was once an enjoyable evening activity is now going to be an epic 5 hour undertaking. 
How exactly is this "improved service"? I think the schedule needs to be revisited.
Sincerely yours,
Leigh Trifari
 
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