Great Western Coffee Shop

Twyford's MP has demanded talks with rail bosses after it was announced commuters in the village would be hit further in the pocket following an increase in parking charges.

Theresa May will meet with First Great Western (FGW) officials and the Department for Transport after the train operator increased its car parking prices at Twyford station by 25 per cent.

Passengers who park at the station before taking the train to London or Reading have seen the daily tariff, which is valid until midnight, rise from ^4.40 to ^5.60.

The price of off-peak parking at the Station Road facility has also been driven up from ^2.20 to ^2.80 ^ but this now comes in to effect from 10am, meaning some passengers can take advantage of the price an hour early.

FGW, which runs services between London Paddington, Reading and the west from Twyford, has said the charges are necessary because the money it subsidises for car parking has reduced.

But Mrs May, whose Maidenhead constituency covers Twyford and the northern parishes, is not impressed. She said: ^These huge increases in car parking charges are outrageous and yet another way of raising revenue from rail users who are already paying large fares. I will be taking this up with FGW and the Department of Transport and asking for an explanation as to where this money will be spent and where local rail users will see improvements.^

The Conservative MP went on to explain how passengers can take advantage of a new telephone system which offers drivers a daily parking tariff of just ^5 at the station.

RingGo allows motorists to pay for parking without having to visit a meter, and simply requires a mobile phone and payment card.

Drivers register their car details with the service before being able to park by simply declaring where and how long they require a space for.

^The introduction of the RingGo service will cushion the blow for some but I still believe FGW assume they can get away with large increases as they are effectively a monopoly provider,^ Mrs May said.

The increase has also been criticised by Passenger Focus, the independent passenger watchdog.

Mike Greedy, manager of the organisation, has suggested the government should step in and regulate the costs of car parking at train stations. He said: ^Passengers will be disappointed by these latest price hikes. Car parking fees are not regulated so passengers are at the train company^s mercy when it comes to how much they have to pay to park at the station. Passengers factor in the price of car parking into the cost of travelling by train and for some passengers this may make the railway more unaffordable.^

A spokesman for FGW explained how the price of parking at its stations remains competitive, despite the increase. He said: ^We have reduced the amount we subside car parking at our stations, particularly in areas where non-rail passengers are using our facilities and leaving less space for genuine customers. For the past three years we have absorbed increasing costs of car parking maintenance, however, given the current climate this is no longer sustainable in the long term. We have been working with local authorities to make sure our prices remain less than town and city centre car parks."

So I assume that Tory policy is to subsidise rail car parking charges then? Thus meaning the rail sector will be protected from 10% cuts in this recession?

I think not.

Erm, sorry, Electric train, but Theresa May has not yet been Transport Secretary: she was the shadow, under Ian Duncan Smith, 18 September 2001 ^ 23 July 2002.

I don't see labour doing much about it.

You've missed the point; Labour aren't complaining.

I agree with Theresa 100%, but she is just complaining to get votes, when SHE know that the Tories would do NOTHING about it!

Commuters are being 'held to ransom' by the inflated cost of parking at Twyford station's car park.

That is the view of David Gray, a Waltham St Lawrence villager, who says commuters are getting a raw deal and is calling on Wokingham Borough Council (WBC) to provide cheaper parking options.

Mr Gray has criticised a raft of parking restrictions intended to prevent commuters parking in Broad Hinton and Waltham Road.

He says the measures will not tackle the root cause of the issue, which is a lack of affordable parking options.

"Drivers with nowhere else to go are held to ransom," said Mr Gray, who refuses to pay the daily station car park fare and gets dropped off there.

"The parking is just too expensive and borough residents who live too far to walk or cycle to the station are trapped with no alternative."

Mr Gray asked why WBC has yet to address the issue, and believes the raft of restrictions set to be imposed will push the problem elsewhere in the village.

He added: "If the council identified an area for an alternative car park, where the cost of parking could at least provide competition, I for one would happily use the car park again."

The daily cost of parking at the station car park, operated by APCOA, has risen from ^2.40 to ^6-plus in recent years.

Cllr Keith Baker, cabinet member for highways and transport at WBC, said there are a lack of options for a new car park in Twyford and added the council couldn't and wouldn't build one on greenbelt land.

He added the cost of council parking in Twyford is the cheapest in the borough.

He also urged irate commuters to lobby Network Rail, which owns the car park, to increase its capacity.

WBC is set to approve plans for single and double yellow lines in Broad Hinton and Waltham Road this month.

Workmen 'hogging' Twyford station parking places

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Construction workers have taken over more than 20 parking spaces at Twyford railway station

Angry passengers are tired of picking up fines for trying to park at Twyford station as construction workers have taken over more than 20 spaces.

The 400-space car park in Gas Lane is regularly full by 8am, meaning many commuters are being slapped with an ^80 fine for squeezing into unauthorised spaces.

Rob Smith, of Binfield, commutes to London from the village. He said: ^They have reduced the size of the car park by what looks a quarter, which is an absolute nightmare. What^s worse if they give you a ticket if you are slightly outside the lines. Luckily I have a smaller car.^

Cheryl Page, of Wokingham, said: ^By 8am there aren^t any spaces left and people try to park so not to block anybody. It isn^t doing anyone any harm and ticketing for that is very harsh.^

Station staff have told passengers ticket sales have shot up since work started on Wokingham^s new ^6 million station.

Commuter Rachel Partridge said: ^One of the ticket clerks told me the situation is being exacerbated by the works at Wokingham station, with commuters from Wokingham now using Twyford station.^ She added: ^ve commuted from Twyford for nearly 20 years and its never been as bad as it is now.^

Desperate commuters have even resorted to parking in the workmen^s compound to avoid penalties in peak hours.

Mohammed Siouri, 50, of Twyford, added: ^It^s completely ridiculous. It costs a fortune to pay and then you can^t park. People spending ages searching for spaces are probably missing their trains.^

A compound was set up in the lower side of the car park in August for workmen contracted to carry out essential works to strengthen the Seven Arch Viaduct. The work is expected to continue until mid-November.

A Network Rail spokeswoman said: ^Since the end of August, Network Rail has been carrying out bridge strengthening work to Seven Arch Bridge as part of the ^33 million railway improvement scheme on the western route. The work at this location is scheduled to be completed on Friday, November 15. During this work, and after gaining permission from First Great Western, Network Rail set up a work site close to Twyford station.

^This site is the property of Network Rail which First Great Western, the managers of Twyford station, utilise as a car park for their customers. This arrangement has been mutually agreed on an unofficial capacity for several years and following the completion of the bridge work, Network Rail plans to work with First Great Western to provide this space as an official station car park.^

Can someone please confirm the current usage and status of the 'season ticket' car park or CP1 as APCOA refer to it.

Does it mean rail season ticket or car park season ticket.

Thumbs up for Twyford Station multi-storey car park

A multi-million pound bid for a four-storey car park has been made by First Great Western (FGW) to tackle parking problems in Twyford.

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The ^9million plans, submitted to the Department for Transport, involve taking over a coal yard at the back of the railway station, as well as adding three storeys to the current car park.

This would result in an additional 300 spaces, and more than 600 spaces in total available to users of the car park.

Wokingham Borough Council (WBC) and Twyford Parish Council have both supported the idea, according to Cllr John Jarvis (Con, Twyford), who sits on both councils.

He said: ^I think it is a really good idea. We have been talking about this for a long time. Bearing in mind the station car park is at the back where the coal yard is, it is not something which is going to impact the usual amenities of Twyford.

^It is something which is needed in Twyford as it is being snarled up.^

Specific designs are yet to be made, and Cllr David Sleight (Con, Wokingham) said FGW will need to submit a planning application before work can go ahead.

He believes a four-storey car park is ^needless^ at the moment, and added a three-storey car park is likely to be more cost effective and ^less obtrusive^.

Cllr Sleight also questioned whether the proposals would provide enough spaces with electrification and Crossrail coming by 2019.

He said: ^Will this satisfy the demand in the long term? Personally, I do not think so.^

Twyford Parish Council has agreed to provide Stanlake Meadow as a temporary car park while works are completed at the station, which is due to take between three and five months, according to Cllr Jarvis.

While he supports the plans he does have some concerns about whether the car park would be used.

^The one worry I have is that it will be a large car park, but will people use it because of the cost of parking? I^m not sure,^ said Cllr Jarvis.

He says WBC is looking to use parking enforcement in Twyford, which would increase funds and also help solve commuter parking issues in residential roads.

A decision on the bid is expected to be made by September, with FGW obliged to complete the works by April 2018.

Specific designs are yet to be made, and Cllr David Sleight (Con, Wokingham) said FGW will need to submit a planning application before work can go ahead.

He believes a four-storey car park is ^needless^ at the moment, and added a three-storey car park is likely to be more cost effective and ^less obtrusive^.

Cllr Sleight also questioned whether the proposals would provide enough spaces with electrification and Crossrail coming by 2019.

He said: ^Will this satisfy the demand in the long term? Personally, I do not think so.^