LNER Scotland Service Cuts Consultation

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Message Content:I am responding to this consultation to oppose proposals to reduce LNER services to/from Stirling, Falkirk Grahamston, Glasgow Central and Motherwell, and to urge LNER to withdraw the proposals. At a time when urgent action is needed to reduce carbon emissions and shift passengers from road and domestic flights to rail, it seems counterproductive for LNER to propose cutting vital rail services. Undoubtedly, passengers prefer direct services, and the planned service reductions could disincentivise rail travel by requiring passengers to make connections and lead people to choose domestic flights over rail. Research has found that travel by rail is seven times more environmentally friendly than flying and Glasgow is Britain’s third most used city by domestic flyers (after London and Edinburgh). Cuts to rail services risk exacerbating this domestic flight usage. Disabled and older passengers who may find connections more problematic could be particularly impacted by the proposed service cuts. Glasgow Central is Scotland’s busiest rail station and cutting its direct access to the East Coast Main Line seems counterproductive. There are already limited direct trains between Motherwell and Edinburgh, and these cuts would reduce that further. There will be many people who rely on the LNER services for commuting purposes and cutting the LNER services risks increasing overcrowding on services provided by other operators. The consultation document states that passengers travelling from Glasgow will still be served by Avanti West Coast services, and whilst that is of course true, it is also the case that Avanti services have been beset by problems, including delays, disruption and cancellations, for a prolonged period of time and passengers may prefer to utilise LNER services. Furthermore, removing these services means that passengers travelling from Glasgow and Motherwell would have no direct services to other parts of the ECML such as stations in Lincolnshire and East Anglia. Given the fragmented nature of the railway, there is, of course, no guarantee that the other TOCs would respond to LNER’s service cuts by increasing their own services, and indeed ScotRail is also operating a c10% reduced timetable compared to pre-Covid levels. With regards the planned service reductions for Stirling and Falkirk Grahamston, the remaining daily service, the ‘Highland Chieftain’ service is often very busy and the timings of this service mean it is unlikely to meet the requirements of passengers that chose to travel on the alternative service. LNER has seen a strong post-Covid recovery, with passenger numbers now exceeding pre-Covid levels, it is therefore, of significant concern, that rather than responding to this trend by expanding services, it is seeking to reduce them. It is also of concern that these cuts could set a precedent and that further services may be at risk in the future. Ultimately, I believe that as a sustainable transport operator, LNER should be making rail travel as easy and accessible as possible, but these planned cuts do the converse. I strongly urge LNER to revisit these proposals and permanently withdraw the planned service cuts.