First Capital Connect questioned by Scrutiny Committee

News update from St Albans City and District Council


First Capital Connect (FCC) and Network Rail (NR) attended St Albans City and District Council’s Scrutiny Committee* meeting at 7pm on 13 July to respond to questions sent in by members of the public to the Committee over the last month. These were put to the rail operator’s Managing Director Neal Lawson (FCC), Integration and Partnership Manager Larry Heyman (FCC) and Martin Frobisher, the Route Director for East Midlands (NR).


The majority of the questions* were on the quality of communication with passengers when delays occur, the nature and transparency of the compensation policy and why 1^st class carriages are not declassified to reduce overcrowding. Other topics included what plans are in place to cope with future train failures and how longer trains will reduce problems in future. A full list of questions and answers can be seen on the Council’s website in the agenda for this meeting. Hard copies are also available on request by telephoning 01727 819526 or emailing: jo.grimes@stalbans.gov.uk. 

Councillor Robert Donald, Chair of Scrutiny commented: “As our local commuters would expect, we robustly questioned the senior managers of First Capital Connect and Network Rail attending our meeting on their recent performance and particularly the incident on 26 May 2011, when passengers were stranded for three hours on a packed train without adequate information and support. I was particularly concerned that lessons should be learnt for the future around better communication with commuters and far greater clarity and consistency on their compensation and repayments policy.

“Their response on the mistakes made and the need for marked improvement was both honest and encouraging. However to ensure these reassurances were translated into real action for rail travellers in the event that a similar event happens again in the future, councillors agreed that I should write as Scrutiny Chair to the Chair of First Capital Connect and Network Rail, requesting their Boards discuss and approve an improvement plan focusing on two matters: firstly improving communication with passengers particularly at times of rail disruption, overcrowding and distress; secondly providing greater transparency and clarity on their companies’ policies relating to refunds and compensation and the criteria for universal eligibility. Their agreed action plan on both these issues should be notified to us as soon as possible.

“My letter is also being copied to the Rt Hon Philip Hammond MP Secretary of State for Transport and the Transport Minister Norman Baker, our local MPs and Association of Public Transport Users, (APTU), amongst others. We also agreed to invite First Capital Connect and Network Rail to another Scrutiny Committee in six months time to monitor progress on the implementation of their improvements.

“I would like to thank all the members of the public who sent in questions for the meeting. First Capital Connect’s responses to these are available on the Council’s website, or in a hard copy by request via email: scrutiny@stalbans.gov.uk or telephone: 01727 819529.”