2 Feb 2008 - First Great Western fare strike and protests

On the 23rd January 2008 a protest took place in many FGW regions about the poor service given by FGW recently. Complaints included recent fare price rises, overcrowding on many trains, cancellations and the poor condition of some of the rolling stock.  Protests included non payment of fares and  wearing of cattle masks to indicate that  some carriage accomodation was no better than cattle trucks. The new FGW operations manager; Charles Howeson travelled on the troubled early morning Plymouth to Penzance service to hear some of the complaints.

This is not the first time FGW have faced a passenger backlash over its poor service. Isn't it about time the long suffering customers were given a decent service after all these years that FGW has held the franchise?