After a meeting of the London Assembly Transport Committee today when Nick Brown, Chief Operating Officer, of Govia Thameslink Railway, and John Halsall, of Network Rail, answered questions about the chaos caused by the introduction of a new timetable, Caroline Pidgeon MBE AM, Chair of the Transport Committee said:
“London’s rail passengers have endured a month of misery on Govia Thameslink Railway train services. Still, there is no end in sight.
“Passengers are having their lives turned upside down because the rail industry failed to manage the timetable change properly. This fiasco cannot be allowed to happen again.
“We therefore call on the Secretary of State to delay this December’s rail timetable changes. We have no confidence that the industry will be ready to make another major change to the timetable while the current processes and governance arrangements are in place.
“The Secretary of State also needs to fund a proper compensation package for the passengers who have been affected.
“He has promised significant refunds on top of the standard compensation to Northern Rail season ticket holders and we think GTR passengers deserve the same.”
Notes to editors
- Caroline Pidgeon MBE AM, Chair of the Transport Committee, is available for interview – see contact details below.
- Watch the video stream of the meeting on YouTube
- London Assembly Transport Committee.
- As well as investigating issues that matter to Londoners, the London Assembly acts as a check and a balance on the Mayor.
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