Two ways the rail industry is asking your views, and welcome, Harpenden!

Thameslink want the views of people who use their services now, or who will after the timetable change. If this is you, please give them your views! www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=1902373413115465&id=1866640276688779 www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/3V623NB We wouldn’t want to leave them in any doubt what people think! If you are Bedford-based, you might also want to take part in the consultation about the replacement of Bromham Road bridge, just north of the station. We say it should be wide enough for a cycle path, and have an underpass to make it easier to cross Bromham Road to get to/from the station. Consultation Event, Friday 20th April, 12 midday to 6pm, Bedford Corn Exchange: Can’t make it? Email them L2CTWAO@networkrail.co.uk On other issues... It has been a long time since most of you have heard from me (and welcome! to the 500 who have signed since the last update: we are now 4,500!). I personally have had a few other matters on my plate (including launching a “Ben Foley campaigns” page on facebook – please do like it! www.facebook.com/Ben-Foley-campaigns-1866640276688779 ), but meanwhile, the campaign has spread to Harpenden in a BIG way. On 1st March, I posted the last update to this petition. That was just after a Harpenden resident had got a response via the MP from DfT, admitting that “The number of services calling at Harpenden will be reduced by two in the morning peak and four in the eveing peak”. When I managed to bring it to the attention of locals there (along with the carefully worded non-assurances that it would not become permanent) it rather annoyed the Thameslink users of Harpenden, and the Harpenden Thameslink Commuters group (www.facebook.com/groups/harpendencommuters/ ), @HPDcommuters #SaveHPDtrains now has 900 members, making it both the newest and the largest local group set up as a result of this campaign. Welcome, Harpenden! Please, existing supporters on twitter, do use #SaveHPDtrains as well as #SaveOurTrains! There will be other campaign activities over the next six weeks up to and including the launch of the new timetable to make it as clear as possible to the Department ‘for’ Transport what we think of the launch of their “RailPlan 20/20”. Please if you haven’t yet, sign up to help at https://goo.gl/forms/1xlXN3U0tvbnI7WE2. Equally, please make sure you sign our longer-term petition, too bit.ly/EMrailpetition: that petition is only a couple of hundred signatures short of the 10,000 landmark!