Modern trains 'can't open coach doors separately' - angry Banburyshire village commuters told
Frustrated residents of a Banbury area village have been told modern trains cannot open coach doors separately and they will have to accept the loss of their commuter train.
King’s Sutton villagers had appealed to Chiltern Railways to allow a system used all over Britain where certain carriages at the front of trains can be used for stations with short platforms, such as their station has.
The railway’s insists it will not allow new Mark 3 trains to stop at King’s Sutton and will discontinue the 6.41am service.
This means commuters wanting to reach London at the usual time will have to either be late, or get up at 5am to catch one of the ‘old’ trains in a new ‘stopping’ service at 6.19am which takes 20 minutes longer than their customary train, arriving four minutes before the original service.
A spokesman for Chiltern Railways told the Banbury Guardian: “This change is happening because this service is currently formed from one of our four-car diesel, multiple-unit trains.
"However, from the December 2025 timetable change the train will be formed from a Mark3 locomotive-hauled train which are formed of six cars. Kings Sutton can only accommodate five coaches or fewer, which means the revised formation cannot call. Unfortunately our services do not have the capability to selectively open doors.
“There will be a new 6.19am service which starts at Kings Sutton, formed from extending an existing stopping service from Bicester North. This train has an overall journey time of 1 hour 23 minutes, but is timed so that it arrives into London Marylebone four minutes before the current service, maintaining its pre-8am arrival.”
Chiltern said from next December around 60 o%f trains serving Kings Sutton are planned to be operated by Chiltern’s new five-car Mark 5A trains.
"These modern trains will replace the older Mark 3s and will offer a more reliable and comfortable service. The Mark 5A trains will enable timetable changes that improve connectivity, with most trains that currently run through to Banbury planning to be extended through to Birmingham Moor Street once the new trains are fully introduced, providing Kings Sutton with additional direct services towards the West Midlands.
“We do understand (passengers’) frustration. However, it is not safe to run a 6-car service to a platform that only holds 5-car trains so whilst we do understand that other operators do it, I'm afraid we will not be. The timetable is now in place and there are no plans to change this back.”
A King’s Sutton commuter said on social media: “Over decades, announcements informing passengers to use the first two carriages etc to alight at stations where platforms are shorter, has worked perfectly well. Therefore, there is no reason for longer trains NOT to stop and service King's Sutton.
"The excuse simply is neither reasonable, nor logical. All trains can stop, regardless of length, using certain designated carriages for passengers wishing to alight at King's Sutton.”
Chiltern told the customer: “I am sorry but the changes will be not reverted back. I sincerely apologise that this is not the outcome you hoped for and for the inconvenience caused.”
King’s Sutton want to keep up the pressure on Chiltern to continue a 6.41am service to Marylebone and have asked South Northants MP Sarah Bool for her help.