GWR apologises for poor performance at Yeovil's Pen Mill station

First Group PLC runs the Great Western rail franchise under the GWR brand, including services between Bristol Temple Meads and Weymouth via Yeovil Pen Mill.

Engineering work elsewhere on the network has led to increased disruption on the line, leading to a sharp drop in passenger numbers.

The operator has promised to improve its performance in the coming months as new trains are rolled out.

The company’s track record came in for criticism from members of South Somerset District Council’s area south committee in Yeovil on Wednesday afternoon (December 5).

Helen Rutter, the council’s community leadership officer, said passenger growth on the line had “slowed dramatically” in 2016/17, and the electrification work elsewhere on the GWR network had led to a “rising and unacceptable level of service disruption” which had deteriorated in 2018.

She said the infrequency of services and the short trains being laid on – which leads to overcrowding at peak times – were also factors.

She said: “Passenger numbers for the Heart of Wessex Line for 2017/18 were 2.047 million – a reduction of more than three per cent on the previous year.

“This was the first decline, following consistent passengers growth between 2002 and 2016, which saw a tripling of passenger numbers.

“The figures available to date for 2018/19, compared with the same period for the previous year, shows a drop of over 132,000 journeys – down by more than ten per cent.”

On the Heart of Wessex Line, less than 58 per cent of trains reached their intended destination within five minutes of being on time at the end of 2017/18.

This has since improved to 70 per cent, but is still far below the average of 80 per cent for the whole GWR network.

Ms Rutter continued: “GWR has a lot of work to do to restore passenger confidence in the line and provide a consistent and reliable service.

“Each of the authorities on the line have been lobbying because it is a significant problem.”

She added proposals for an hourly service on the line had been “kicked into the long grass” by the current franchise being extended.

The committee currently commits funding to the Heart of Wessex rail partnership, which makes improvements to individual stations on the line and promotes the rail services to tourists.

Councillor Peter Seib said the council needed to use the partnership to lobby for better services.

He said: “At the moment stations are going to have lots of flowers and no passengers. The priority needs to be lobbying and lobbying.

“My office is a few steps up the line – I don’t even have to change trains – but I can’t use it. It’s either late or rammed, full to the brim with people. It’s just an appalling experience – it’s not what it should be.”

Councillor Gina Seaton added: “A good friend of mine normally drives up to Bath. She decided to try the train from Yeovil, but it was full and standing room only – she said she’d never go again.”

An apology by GWR managing director Mark Hopwood was published within the report which came before the committee.

He admitted the line’s performance “has not been good enough” and stressed the line was important to the operator.

He added: “This route has been severely impacted by the volume of short-notice and major upgrade works in the wider region, linked to the unprecedented programme of infrastructure improvement in the region, including new train fleets and the retraining of drivers and crew.

“We have a joint performance plan with Network Rail that is being implemented. Now that door modifications are complete on the local fleet, this should result in improved reliability.

“We are working to improve performance and rebuild customer numbers, and have upgraded all our on-station help points.”

The committee voted unanimously to grant £1,000 of funding to the rail partnership for the coming 12 months.

The council’s leader Val Keitch and chief executive Alex Parmley will be meeting with GWR next week to discuss improvements to the service.