PARLIAMENTARY WRITTEN QUESTION
(7 September 2026)

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of declassifying First Class accommodation on Great Northern and Thameslink services serving Cambridge on passenger capacity and crowding levels during peak periods.

Asked by:
Pippa Heylings (Liberal Democrat)

Decisions on how First Class accommodation is used during peak periods are operational matters for the relevant operator, which keeps capacity and passenger demand under review. While declassifying First Class can help relieve crowding on individual busy services, it does not increase overall train capacity. GTR has increased peak-time capacity between Cambridge, Letchworth and London through the December 2025 timetable changes, providing additional space for passengers. Staff may declassify First Class where services are exceptionally busy, and the rear First Class compartment on Class 700 Thameslink trains is already permanently declassified.

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