| Train unreliably forces college to reduce timetables and fuel deprivation Posted by grahame at 16:58, 15th December 2025 |     |
Sarah Gibson MP, Chippenham Constituency is in Lacock Village, United Kingdom. Video in Parliament
Spoken in the debate:
A rural constituancy of Chippenham in Wiltshire and our local college has had to reduce the timetable for its 16 to 18 year olds, given the fact that they can no longer rely on catching a train because the trains are constantly delayed in the constituency. This is causing all sorts of issues in terms of deprivation, which is highlighted in the recent government statistics as being caused by lack of access to work and skills.
Words on Facebook:
Constant reductions and rescheduling are leaving passengers stranded – workers are unable to reach shift patterns, and students are missing the last bus home. It is often the last five miles on the journey home that count.
I was able to make this point in the Commons during a debate on the impact of train timetable changes on rural communities like ours.
The Government must ensure that future timetables are built around the needs of rural passengers, not just operational convenience.
I was able to make this point in the Commons during a debate on the impact of train timetable changes on rural communities like ours.
The Government must ensure that future timetables are built around the needs of rural passengers, not just operational convenience.
The last bus from Chippenham bus station leaves for Lacock at 17:30 (railway station at 17:36). To catch it, you need to be on the 16:56 train from Swindon (17:08 at Chippenham). In theory the 17:22 train from Swindon might work - but 3 minutes at Chippenham is cutting it fine.
The cancellation rate for the next train that some of the Wiltshire College students use - the 18:00 - is 10%. Industry stats (from 2024) show us that train when it runs carries an average of 55 people - the busiest of the day. Yes, it does go through Lacock. Minor problem that the station there closed in 1966 so the train doesn't actually stop ...
| Re: Train unreliably forces college to reduce timetables and fuel deprivation Posted by bobm at 21:32, 15th December 2025 | |
For anyone who wants to follow the whole debate it is in Hansard for last Tuesday (9th December)
https://hansard.parliament.uk/Commons/2025-12-09/debates/7039D109-38B4-4AF5-A073-F7DABDF1D30D/NetworkRailTimetableChangesRuralCommunities
