4:38pm Tuesday 6th January 2009
By Filip Hnizdo
Residents have been left frustrated by what they see as a “ridiculous” decision to stop Watford's direct rail link to Manchester.
Virgin Trains' new timetable, which was introduced last month, means passengers are unable to board the direct train from London Euston to Manchester.
Instead, they have been asked to take a train to Milton Keynes where they can board the usual Virgin service.
Pensioner Brian Levy, of The Grove, in Radlett, regularly travels to Manchester with his wife Josephine to visit her family.
He said: “We've now got to stand around and add more than half an hour to our journey. We're both old age pensioners and don't particulalry fancy standing about in Winter. It's ridiculous. There is absolutely no point to it and it really shows total contempt for their customers.”
He added: “I also feel really sorry for the 20 or 30 taxis that were at Watford Junction to pick up passengers from that train. They are really going to feel the pinch.”
Virgin Trains representative Jim Rowe, said the changes to the timetable were made in order to benefit the most passengers and cut down the travel time from London Euston to Manchester.
He said Watford had not shown an increase in passengers going to Manchester and that although a minority would lose out, the majority of passengers, and the Department for Transport, welcomed the changes.
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