The Lichfield Commuters’ Club supported plans by Virgin to increase the
number of carriages on Pendolino trains on the West Coast Main Line from
9 to 11 to reduce overcrowding on busy commuter routes including that
from Lichfield Trent Valley to London Euston. A Parliamentary written
answer to Michael Fabricant reveals that this proposal has been rejected
by the Department of Transport.

The Parliamentary Question and Answer reads:-

Michael Fabricant: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what
progress is being made in discussions between her Department and Virgin
Trains on the elongation of Pendolino trains from nine to 11 cars.
[181442]

Mr. Tom Harris (Minister of Transport): The Department received in 2007
an unsolicited proposal from Virgin Trains to extend their franchise for
two years (2012-14), which included a plan to lengthen Pendolino trains,
which was analysed in considerable detail. The Department concluded that
this proposal provided significantly less value for money compared with
the likely outcome of the refranchising exercise scheduled for
completion in 2012. The Department is preparing its own proposals to
introduce extra capacity on the west coast main line.

"I am very disappointed by this reply" says Michael Fabricant. "Some
routes are becoming like cattle trucks with passengers having to stand
or squat in the aisles.

"With the cost of fuel soaring, the Government has underestimated the
increased use of rail and the consequent overcrowding. If we are to
wait until 2012 until a new franchise is announced, it could be a
further 4 years – taking us to 2016 – before this problem is addressed.
And by then, we might well need even more carriages to be added. This
not forward planning".