Please re-instate Hitchin First-Stop Fast Trains between 17:00 and 19:00, increase the morning peak trains between 7:45 and 8:15 and re-introduce the 9:01 to enable those managing work and family commitments.
 
There are many reasons why Hitchin commuters are not happy about the changes:  the ability to manage childcare along with work is just one of them.  With the new changes proposed by GNR many commuters from Hitchin are facing serious impacts on their work life balance - possibly life changing impact.
 
We the undersigned believe that the changes being brought in by GNR result in a significant negative impact to commuters of Hitchin:  we were led to believe this would be a better, faster service.  This is not the case.  

We are asking:

1)   To have 50% more fast services  between Hitchin and London Kings Cross at peak times in the morning and evening as we were told would be the case at peak times in the morning and evening

2)  To review the timetable to address the concerns below

3) To review the use of carnet tickets for commuters travelling to London stations 
 
Under the new changes;
- The newly proposed timetable,  means that the 7.55 train is now the best option someone can get into London and within reasons,  get to work for 9am (the 8:04, now a slower train and 8:20 doesn’t get into LXK until 8:50). There is also no alternative offering at this time for those travelling to Finsbury Park.  
 
- For those managing the school drop off, the earliest arrival into KX is now 17 mins later that the current arrangement. The previous 9:01 arriving at LKX at 9:34 has been replaced by a train leaving only 1 minute earlier - but arriving 17 minutes later. 

- For those picking up children between 5 and 6 pm, under the timetable, options are limited for example, the 5.07 is a key service  for Hitchin  and without it there is a significant impact on the ability for parents to pick up children before 6pm.   The 5.12 no longer exists.   

This has a significant negative impact on Hitchin communters and especially those with childcare responsibilities.  The options are therefore limited: reduce their working hours, renegotiate working arrangements or pay for childcare.     In an age where the Gender Pay Gap is biggest in London than anywhere else in the UK and an overall ethos to support people to work - making decisions like this will surely impact a lot of working parents. We believe we should be offering more options to get to work not take them away.