Politicians are urging rail bosses to scrap first-class rail tickets on rush-hour services in order to reduce overcrowding on services.
Members of the Stevenage Borough Council have called for the removal, claiming that it would benefits passengers of Thameslink and Great Northern trains – with one of the services operated by Thameslink being named the most overcrowded in the country earlier this year.
The Liberal Democrat councillors in Stevenage have said that first-class areas on Thameslink and Great Northern services typically have restricted access to 26 seats, leaving standard-class passengers having to stand while some first-class seats remain empty during busy journeys. The councillors believe that these dedicated first-class places are an inefficient use of train capacity, and declassifying those areas could provide between 400 and 500 extra seats every day.
Paul Cooper, Passenger Rail Adviser, and member of CILT(UK)’s Strategic Rail Policy Group, commented:
“Due to low demand for First Class on these routes, its removal would result in minimal revenue loss, simplify ticketing, and would be popular among many Standard Class passengers.
“The phase-out of First Class on other suburban services seen over the past thirty years indicates that the benefits typically outweigh the drawbacks. However, this change would only slightly increase capacity, and more systemic solutions are needed to address overcrowding.”
Both Thameslink and Great Northern were taken into public ownership at the end of May, and, while the council has no direct power over them, the councillors hope that their motion will persuade the UK government to act.
A spokesperson for Thameslink and Great Northern told the BBC that they recognise how busy trains can be at peak times, but removing first-class seats would worsen the experience of those who choose to buy those tickets and would also reduce overall fare revenue. The spokesperson added that the services were still safe, despite being busy, and they are making improvements to reduce overcrowding.
Figures suggest that overcrowding is significant issue on some Thameslink services, particularly during the morning peak period, with the 07:13 Thameslink train from Bedford to Three Bridges via London St Pancras taking the top spot for the country’s most overcrowded service.