Train firm scraps first-class

All passengers are being promised greater comfort

A commuter train company is doing away with first-class seats in an attempt to beat overcrowding.

Chiltern Railways is reverting to one-class travel to cut down on the number of standard-class passengers who have to stand.

First-class seats will be taken out of service from 5 January 2003, with first-class season ticket-holders being offered refunds.

Cath Proctor, Chiltern's sales and marketing director, said: "After safety and punctuality, our passengers' top priority is the availability of a seat for their journey.

We know that some of our current first-class passengers are not happy with our decision but we considered it carefully and feel strongly that it enables us to provide a better overall service.

Cath Proctor, Chiltern Railways

"Despite our continued investment in new trains, which has seen our fleet size increase by nearly 50% since privatisation, demand for our services is growing very fast and many of our standard-class passengers have to stand.

"At the same time, we carry nearly 400 empty first-class seats in and out of London every rush hour.

"We know that some of our current first-class passengers are not happy with our decision, but we considered it carefully and feel strongly that it enables us to provide a better overall service and meet the needs of the vast majority of our passengers."

John Balmforth, deputy chairman of the Rail Passengers' Committee for the Midlands, told BBC News Online: "We do not think it's good news. We do not see how the removal of a limited number of seats from a train will do anything to solve overcrowding.

"It's the infrastructure that needs attacking."