SOUTH West Trains is being advised to Òpull its socks upÓ or face the wrath of local commuters.

Alton Line UsersÕ Association chairman Chris Campbell said passengers Òhave had enough of being made to feel like the poor relationsÓ.

The call for action was compounded this week when passengers aboard TuesdayÕs 14.20 from Waterloo sat tight at Farnham, refusing to leave the train which SWT was once again threatening to terminate short of destination.

According to Mr Campbell, the service was eventually continued, arriving in Alton at 16.40 but causing a knock-on effect down the line.

Incensed by the Òraw dealÓ currently afforded to Ôend of the lineÕ customers, ALUA has issued an ultimatum. If SWT fails to improve the service it will fight any move to confirm the companyÕs bid for the 20-year franchise on the Waterloo to Alton line.

Preferred bidder status for the new franchise was awarded by the Strategic Rail Authority in April this year and should, according to Mr Campbell, have been confirmed this summer but has been delayed - it is suggested, due to poor performance.

In a letter to the Alton Herald this week, ALUA secretary, Paul Barber, says the decision to grant preferred bidder status to SWT does not inspire confidence in a better future for the line.

ÒThe recent use of the police to confront aggrieved passengers at Farnham was a disgrace and a clear sign that SWT do not know how to respond to the genuine concerns of their passengers,Ó said Mr Barber.

To make matters worse, ALUA fears that the recent demise of Railtrack will mean that essential track improvements between Farnham and Alton could be further delayed.

Concerned about what is described as Òthe poor level of serviceÓ currently afforded to passengers from Alton, Bentley and Farnham, ALUA representatives attended a meeting with senior managers of SWT and representatives of the Rail Passengers Committee for Southern England to take Òa serious lookÓ at recent events.

ÒWe made it clear that we considered the current situation to be appalling and even worse than it was when we met SWT,Ó said Mr Barber.

He pointed out that ALUA had made it clear that, if there is no immediate improvement, it will challenge SWTÕs preferred bidder status for the new franchise.

At the moment local rail travellers do not feel they are Ògetting their moneyÕs worth.Ó According to Chris Campbell, Òthe trains are unreliable and there is no knowing when they will be terminated short of destination.

ÒTravellers are petrified if a train is running ten minutes late that the service will be cut and they will be forced to get off and wait for the next one. It is taking so long for people to get home that some are calling for the reinstatement of buffet cars.

ÒBecause we are at the end of the line and there is no alternative service it is estimated that local passengers suffer six times the number of delays anybody else gets.Ó

While it is hoped, once driver numbers are up to strength, to run a shuttle service between Alton and Farnham to try and alleviate the problem, Mr Campbell still believes that the only way forward will be to reinstate double track working on that stretch of line.

He is further concerned by news that the promised half-hourly service to Alton, expected in the summer next year, will not now be available until the end of the year. But, he said, there was hope last week when, instead of cancelling an early morning Class One commuter train, SWT chose to reduce the number of coaches from 12 to four and run it fast from Farnham to Waterloo, to make up time. ÒWhile there was standing room only it was better than having no train at all,Ó pointed out the ALUA chairman.

ÒAt the moment we in Alton feel like a besieged garrison. This was the first glimmer of light we have experienced in the past 15 months.Ó

The aim now is for ALUA and the Rail Passengers Committee for Southern England to meet with SWT on Tuesday, December 4, to review the situation.

r Readers who have particular concerns or experience of travelling on the Alton to Waterloo line which they would like to draw to ALUAÕs attention before December 4 should contact David Jones on 01252 792364 or Paul Barber on 01420 84972. Alternatively e-mail: [email protected]">[email protected]