Scrap first class on trains, say councillors

Opposition politicians are urging rail bosses to scrap first-class rail tickets on rush-hour services.

Liberal Democrats on Stevenage Borough Council say the move would reduce overcrowding on Thameslink and Great Northern trains.

One of the services operated by Thameslink was named the most overcrowded in the country earlier this year.

The train operators say their services are safe, despite being busy, and they are making improvements to reduce overcrowding.

The Lib Dem councillors say first-class areas on Thameslink and Great Northern services typically have restricted access to 26 seats.

Standard-class passengers often have to stand while some first-class seats remain empty during busy journeys.

The councillors say having dedicated first-class places is "an inefficient use of train capacity", and declassifying those areas could provide between 400 and 500 extra seats every day.

They have submitted a motion for Wednesday's meeting of the Labour-controlled council.

Both Thameslink and Great Northern are now in public ownership, and, while the council has no direct power over them, the Lib Dems hope their motion will persuade central government to act.

Andy McGuinness, the Lib Dem group's leader, said: "We think this is a really simple, really quick fix that will help improve train journeys for thousands of people every day."

Neil Middleton, from Harpenden, Hertfordshire, agrees. He used to commute from Harpenden to Canary Wharf and is now the vice-chair of campaign group Railfuture.

"I think that's a good idea because, when I get on trains, I see the first-class compartment empty and often see the rest of the train very crowded," he said.

"On the local services that we all take to get to and from London, I don't think there needs to be first class."

A spokesperson for Thameslink and Great Northern said: "We recognise that trains can be busy at peak times and we make improvements where we can to provide more capacity.

"Removing first class on this route would worsen the experience of those who choose to buy tickets and also reduce overall fare revenue, which increases the level of taxpayer subsidy on the railway."

The spokesperson added that the services were not overcrowded as they were not "exceeding any safe capacity".

The 08:09 Thameslink train from Bedford to Three Bridges via London St Pancras was named as the country's most overcrowded service earlier this year, citing a journey last autumn.

The figures suggest overcrowding remains a significant issue on some Thameslink services, particularly during the morning peak period.

Thameslink and Great Northern services were taken into public ownership at the end of May as part of the government's plan to bring most passenger services under public control.

Ministers say renationalisation will drive improvements in the rail system, make it more efficient and help it respond to local needs.

While the Liberal Democrats in Stevenage are counting on the government ordering the rail companies to scrap first class, the firms themselves are reluctant because they need income from high-end rail fares.

The network already eats up billions of pounds of subsidy each year and, although there will no longer be private operators' costs to pay, the government knows it still has to make every penny count if it really wants better railways.

Anyone expecting the imminent arrival of vast sums of money to pay for instant improvements is probably going to be disappointed.

Do you have a story suggestion for Beds, Herts or Bucks? Contact us below.

Follow Beds, Herts and Bucks news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.