A WATCHDOG organisation representing transport users has published a study that it hopes will convince the Department for Transport to reconsider plans to reduce the number of intercity trains calling at Watford Junction.
London TravelWatch is concerned that the day-long service of intercity trains at Watford Junction, serving the major towns and cities on the West Coast Main Line (WCML), will soon be curtailed.
"During the past ten years, the usefulness of these calls has been increased by the introduction of direct trains between Watford and the Brighton line," the study said.
This service enables many inter-city journeys to be made without the hassle of crossing central London by Underground. There is also a frequent coach link with Heathrow Airport."
The Department for Transport's West Coast Main Line Strategy provides for a new timetable from December 2008 but its proposals for this timetable would limit day-long intercity calls at Watford to the Birmingham route only.
With a local catchment for inter-city services of about one million, and strong growth in demand for rail travel, London TravelWatch considers that these proposals are unacceptable. A DfT spokesman was unavailable to comment.
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