WEST WORCESTERSHIRE MP Dame Harriett Baldwin has welcomed news that more train seats will soon be available on busy commuter routes using Worcestershire Parkway Railway station.
The MP has been campaigning for more routes and more train companies using the new station and train operator CrossCountry has confirmed it will be adding extra trains for its services through the county.
Dame Harriett shared constituents’ concerns about the lack of seat capacity and the train company chief executive Shiona Rolfe wrote to confirm that extra trains are in the pipeline and the company had taken delivery of 12 additional five-carriage trains, adding extra seats to its Bristol-Manchester and Plymouth-Edinburgh services which stop at Worcestershire Parkway.
Dame Harriett said: “Worcestershire Parkway Station has proven really popular with commuters across the county, and operators have struggled to meet the demand for peak time train services.
“I was delighted to hear that CrossCountry has taken this decision to take on additional trains and carriages, increasing the number of seats on routes used by my constituents.
“This is a positive step, and I encourage other operators to follow suit as Worcestershire Parkway continues to attract passengers beyond the original projections when it opened.
“People who regularly use our local rail network know that measures such as this will only make a small difference, and the rail industry needs the Government to support significantly better investment in rolling stock.”
