Date: 15th December 2004
Released by: ANDREW TURNER

A new train timetable on the mainland is lengthening journey times to London, according to Isle of Wight MP, Andrew Turner. While congratulating Wightlink on adjusting their catamaran timetable to meet the new train times, he has asked South West Trains what consultation they undertook with other transport providers before finalizing new schedules.

Mr Turner has found that daytime journeys from Cowes to Waterloo via the Red Jet and Southampton are taking between 139 and 143 minutes compared with between 121 and 125 minutes before the timetable changes, and he has received complaints that services to and from Yarmouth are similarly extended.

In a letter to Andrew Haynes, Chief Executive of South West Trains, Mr Turner said,
“A number of constituents have already expressed concern about the new timetables you have adopted for the Waterloo to Portsmouth Harbour, Waterloo to Southampton Central and Waterloo to Lymington Pier via Brockenhurst services. They complain that the new services fail to connect effectively with the catamaran services from Ryde Pier Head and Cowes (West) respectively, or with the ferry service from Yarmouth. The consequence is greater travel times and time spent waiting on draughty platforms.”

Reminding Mr Haynes of the necessity to work with other transport providers, he asks:
“Did you consult in good time with the providers of connecting services, in particular Wightlink, Hovertravel, Red Funnel, IslandLine, FirstBus Southampton, Southern Vectis and the bus company in Portsmouth about the new timetable and their capacity to provide connecting services to the trains? Did you consult with the Isle of Wight Council?”

Concluded Mr Turner,
“More and more people have been using train services since privatization, so it is not surprising that operators have difficulty getting more trains into the same space at Waterloo Station. But that is no excuse for making journeys longer and less convenient, which has been the effect on Islanders who cross the Solent and then travel by train. I realise that there is nothing that South West Trains can do now, but I would like to be assured that any further changes will be the subject of consultation with trasnport operators on the Island who play a vital role in feeding passengers onto train services.”