Govia Thameslink Railway to keep commuters struggling in the run-up to Christmas
IF THERE was any justice, Govia Thameslink Railway would pay me and countless other commuters to use its Southern and Thameslink lines for a year to apologise for subjecting us to the worst train service in Britain.
Govia Thameslink Railway train service
Sadly, we do not live in a just world.
In fact, the perverse structure of the rail system means that GTR can pretty much carry on as it pleases until 2021, secure in the knowledge that millions have no choice other than to continue suffering its “services”, unless things deteriorate to the point where the Government has no choice but to remove its franchises.
Given the way things are going, that point may come sooner than people think.
It is hard to imagine any firm, in any sector, anywhere in the world that performs as badly as GTR.
Govia has both Thameslink and Southern
Passenger FURY as Southern Rail make cancellations
Southern is the UK’s worst performing railway, while regular users of the Thameslink have grown accustomed to daily delays, overcrowding and trains being cancelled at short notice.
It is hard to imagine any firm anywhere in the world that performs as badly as GTR
It consistently fails at what it is supposed to do, namely provide a reliable train service.
However, the planned series of strikes by rail unions, which will cause hell for commuters in the run up to Christmas and in the new year, as well as the looming 2.3 per cent increase in fares in January, will cause passenger anger to boil over, which might force the Government’s hand.
A series of strikes by rail unions will cause hell for commuters in the run up to Christmas
GTR has shown it is a poor operator of Thameslink and unable to deal effectively with the rail unions.
It is time for the Government to fire it and find someone else to do the job. geoff.ho@express.co.uk