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Commuter with £6,000 railcard sits in cleaning cupboard on journey home as there are no seats | |
(about 11 hours later) | |
A commuter has been forced to sit in the cleaning cupboard on his daily train journey into London - despite paying £6,000 for an annual train ticket. | A commuter has been forced to sit in the cleaning cupboard on his daily train journey into London - despite paying £6,000 for an annual train ticket. |
The City worker - who does not want to be named - struggles to get a place to sit during his return journey from London Liverpool Street station to Ipswich and has resorted to sitting in the cleaning cupboard with the mops and brooms. | The City worker - who does not want to be named - struggles to get a place to sit during his return journey from London Liverpool Street station to Ipswich and has resorted to sitting in the cleaning cupboard with the mops and brooms. |
He told the East Anglian Times: “I can usually get an official seat on the way in during the morning rush hour, but in the evening the train I catch, the 6.30, is usually so full there’s no space. | He told the East Anglian Times: “I can usually get an official seat on the way in during the morning rush hour, but in the evening the train I catch, the 6.30, is usually so full there’s no space. |
“I found this some time ago and I use it quite often. No one seems to mind but it isn’t great.” | “I found this some time ago and I use it quite often. No one seems to mind but it isn’t great.” |
He thought he has an easier commute than many of his colleagues,saying: “Those who come from the south have to catch a bus, a train and then the Tube. They think it’s luxury that I only have to catch the train.” | He thought he has an easier commute than many of his colleagues,saying: “Those who come from the south have to catch a bus, a train and then the Tube. They think it’s luxury that I only have to catch the train.” |
A spokesman for the train operator Abellio Greater Anglia said the cupboard was supposed to be out of boards to passengers as it contained the intercom for the senior conductor. | A spokesman for the train operator Abellio Greater Anglia said the cupboard was supposed to be out of boards to passengers as it contained the intercom for the senior conductor. |
He defended the overcrowding, saying the rolling stock was undergoing a refurbishment, where 24 first class seats would be replaced by 54 standard-class seats - significantly improving capacity. | He defended the overcrowding, saying the rolling stock was undergoing a refurbishment, where 24 first class seats would be replaced by 54 standard-class seats - significantly improving capacity. |
He said: “Two of the seven vehicles of this type operating have already been converted and on completion of the programme later this year, this will provide over 600,000 more standard seats a year (or 2,500 more seats a day) on our intercity services.” | He said: “Two of the seven vehicles of this type operating have already been converted and on completion of the programme later this year, this will provide over 600,000 more standard seats a year (or 2,500 more seats a day) on our intercity services.” |
Ispwich MP Ben Gummer said: “This shows exactly why we need to see hundreds of millions of pounds invested in new rolling stock and new track. It is not right that people who pay a large amount." | Ispwich MP Ben Gummer said: “This shows exactly why we need to see hundreds of millions of pounds invested in new rolling stock and new track. It is not right that people who pay a large amount." |
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