On 29th November the Government launched its consultation on the future of the Great Western rail franchise. The consultation will be open until 11:45pm on 28 February 2018 and is seeking views on a range of potential future priorities for the franchise. These are based on a substantial programme of informal discussions the Department has held already with stakeholders across the network. One of the most important issues on which the Government is seeking public input is whether the franchise should be retained in its current form for the long term, or whether passengers would be best servied splitting it into two (or potentially more) separate franchises, each with a stronger focus on meeting the needs of a particular market or geographical area.
I would urge my constituents to participate in this consultation so that they can shape improvements to the service that the Government is seeking to secure. Further information on the consultation and how to respond is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/great-western-rail-franchis…;