The MP for St Albans has expressed her concerns over changes to a rail timetable which could be the “biggest for a generation”.

East Midland Trains will be reducing services from Bedford and Luton into London from May onwards.

Anne Main believes this will add even more passengers onto the “already crowded” Thameslink service that runs from Bedford - through St Albans - into London.

She said: ‘I am very concerned about the potential impact this change could have on St Albans commuters.

“St Albans passengers pay some of the highest rail fares in the country and they should expect a high level of service.

“To add even more pressure to this already crowded line would be unacceptable.’ Details were given at a St Albans City and District Council Planning, Resources, Housing and Commercial Scrutiny Committee on Thursday, February 8.

Rail executives reported to the committee last year that services on the Thameslink line were “not good” and the performance of new Siemens Class 700 trains had been “dire”.

Neil Henry, Network Rail’s Head of Operations and Performance, told the meeting about his company’s work in improving the track and other infrastructure.

He said that delays causes by faults with signalling or other track equipment were at a four-year low. The number of incidents was falling as was the time taken to sort them out.

Mr Henry said the company would have 100 extra staff maintaining the line from May to help with the “biggest timetable change for a generation”.

Now there will eventually be 16 Thameslink trains an hour at peak times travelling through St Albans City Station.

All fast trains at the morning and evening peak will have 12 carriages instead of occasionally eight as at present.

Routes are to be expanded to allow passengers to travel directly to Greenwich and north Kent.

The changes will follow the reopening of London Bridge Station to Thameslink trains after extensive building work.

The new timetable is the result of three extensive rounds of consultation which gained almost 30,000 responses.

After the meeting, cllr Roma Mills, the committee’s chairwoman, called the timetable “good news”.

She said: “At last we have heard some good, positive news about Thameslink and it appears there is more to come.

“Services have undoubtedly improved considerably over the past year and customers are promised further substantial improvements when the new timetable comes into force.”

Work on a £5 million overhaul of St Albans station, to include an improved Ridgmont Road entrance, should begin this summer and be completed in late spring next year.