West Worcestershire MP Harriett Baldwin has received news on deal which gives First Great Western an extra three and a half years on their franchise but repeated her calls for faster, more reliable trains to London. The train group runs the Cotswold Line franchise between Worcestershire and London, which is a vital transport link both for business commuters and tourists. Transport minister Claire Perry has written to Harriett confirming that First Great Western has been given a three and a half year extension to the current deal running to March 2019. Harriett regularly calls on the company to ask for improvements to the frequency and reliability services along this line as well as faster trains. Harriett said: “The new deal offered to First Great Western will give them a level of stability and allow the company to invest in the future. “I hope that as this news is absorbed, the company will now be able to commit to improved services to the capital with faster, more reliable and more frequent trains. “I have made the case to protect services which stop at Pershore but hope that we will also see some quicker trains to London as part of this deal. “With the new Worcester Parkway plans evolving I hope that we get further progress for county commuters very soon. I will continue to press Network Rail to complete the long-overdue complete dualling of the line as well.”