Cameron calls for improvements to Ashchurch Rail Service
“Not good enough” says Tewkesbury MP as data shows services at Ashchurch Station are among the worst in the country
New statistics from the Office for Rail and Road shows punctuality of services are in the bottom 10% of all stations in Britain
Cameron Thomas MP has criticised the poor services at Ashchurch for Tewkesbury Station, after new data showed almost 30% of trains stopping at the station ran late in January, ranking it amongst the worst 10% of stations in Britain.
A new service from the Office for Rail and Road (ORR) publishes data on services at all 2,587 stations nationwide and they will be on display at many stations on digital screens for passengers’ information.
January's statistics1 show that 29.9% of trains stopping at Ashchurch were more than 3 minutes late, ranking it among the worst 10% of stations2 in the country for delays, and the worst performing mainline station in Gloucestershire.
The data further breaks down performance by train operators, and the worst offender at Ashchurch was CrossCountry, with more than a third of its services late.
The Tewkesbury MP publicly blasted GWR in November 2024, and has repeated that rail passengers must become the priority, with rail services having declined over a decade of poor Conservative governance.
“This Government must get our rail services back on track: I am pleased with the transparency the ORR is providing, but the data only confirms my own frustrations. Speaking as a frequent commuter, my experience is too regularly one of cancellations, and over-crowded or late trains.
“With Tewkesbury expanding so rapidly and with the Cotswold Designer Outlet due to open this year, it is not good enough that Ashchurch for Tewkesbury is subject to such poor service. For too long Tewkesbury Borough has been subjected to rapid growth without the infrastructure to support it, and our buckling transport links are testament to that.
“The A46 through Ashchurch is a constant bottleneck for road traffic, and if local people cannot rely on public transport, then more still will revert to their cars.
“I have spoken about our inadequate local transport services in Parliament and will continue to raise the issue with the Government. I will also name-and-shame operators who consistently let their passengers down.
"The Government should establish a new Railway Agency across Great Britain, to help join up industry and get Britain moving. It is time to put passengers at the heart of decision-making.”