Sir — On Saturday, July 6, the 16.31 Oxford to Paddington train was so full when it left Oxford that it would probably have made the top ten overcrowded trains of all time.
Once again, the rail companies have failed to understand both the shifting patterns of travel and the importance of the summer student market within the Oxford economy.
That these students would want to visit London shouldn’t really come as a surprise to First Great Western staff and their travel planners.
Although Oxford will eventually be given a new station and the alternative Chiltern route to London, neither of these will matter if there are still not enough seats on the trains for passengers.
I would urge the rail operators to liaise now with the language schools to identify the trains between Oxford and London with sufficient capacity to handle large groups and also to check with station staff the departures that are regularly leaving Oxford with passengers standing throughout the train.
Spreading the passenger load across more trains, and adding an extra two or three carriage units to some departures, would make both for a more pleasant travelling experience and ensure the return trip from Paddington didn’t see Oxford passengers fighting with those from Slough and Reading just for the chance to have stood for an hour in both directions.
John Howson, Lib Dem, St Margaret’s Division, Oxfordshire County Council
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