London in crisis with Southern Rail cancelling 341 trains PER DAY which could even affect house prices
A new temporary timetable will start next Monday Southern Rail have announced
THE cancellation of 341 Southern Rail services a day as part of a new timetable to address constant cancellations and disrupted services, could have a negative effect on house prices in commuter belt towns.
Areas such as Brighton could see a dip in value and property owners looking to sell could lose thousands, as the train services to and from London are temporarily reduced and commuters decide to move to towns not served by Southern Rail.
A four bedroom home in Brighton costs on average £617,358 and the same home in Warwick or Leamington Spa, a slightly longer journey but served by more reliable providers, costs £413,264 and £456,446 respectively.
The rail service has been plagued with staff sickness and strikes which have delayed and cancelled many services since April.
A new temporary amended timetable is set to be brought in while the provider deals with staff numbers.
The company today announced 341 train services a day will be cut as part of the new timetable, which will start next Monday.
The operator said it was also taking action to "encourage staff back to work" and was working with the Government to introduce more generous passenger compensation.
Southern has been embroiled in a bitter row with the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union over plans to change the role of conductors, which has led to a series of strikes.
Southern's passenger services director Alex Foulds said: "We are introducing this temporary weekday revised timetable with reluctance but it is the best thing we can do for our passengers who have been suffering daily cancellations ever since this dispute with the RMT began, and for which we are sincerely sorry.
"It should give the majority of our passengers a better, more consistent service that they can plan around.
"Whilst our first priority is our passengers, we also understand that this has been a difficult time for our staff. Conductors already know that their jobs are guaranteed, that there will be no reduction in salary and that the independent rail safety body has confirmed our plans are safe.
"Now, after listening to our staff, we have also decided to restore leisure travel benefits. All of this, we believe, should help our staff feel able to return to work and so reduce the issues causing the current high level of train cancellations."
Changes include the suspension of Southern's West London Line services between Milton Keynes and Clapham Junction, reductions in service on the Coastway routes, buses replacing most trains between Seaford and Lewes, and a reduced off-peak service between Tonbridge and Redhill where passengers for Victoria will need to change trains.
Mr Foulds said: "Once again, we urge RMT officials to relax their unbending attitude to our plans and to step over the line in the sand they have drawn opposing any extension of driver-only train operation."
Southern said the number of trains being cancelled is broadly similar to those being cancelled at the moment.
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The rail operators website details the "ongoing disruption" to services as due to "limited train crew availability".
Last week, Hove MP Peter Kyle told the House of Commons some commuters had been given written warnings for consistent lateness at work because of the "shameful" service.
Louise Ellman, who chairs the select committee, said MPs had been contacted by passengers angry at not getting home in time to see their children, with some saying they had lost their jobs because of delays to their trains.
Ms Ellman said: "Today's evidence session reflected the high volume of correspondence we had from angry passengers who use the Southern Railway network. It is clear that the current situation is totally unacceptable and you only have to look at the number of delays and cancellations, and the impact these have on passengers, to realise that these problems need to be addressed immediately.
"We will watch carefully to see how the new emergency timetable, with its planned cancellations, helps and how the operator and unions can work together to find a permanent solution that improves the poor services passengers have suffered for too long."
Mr Horton, who commutes on Southern from Horsham, said: "I am extremely sorry for the poor level of service in the past few weeks."
He blamed a high level of staff sickness and reluctance to work on rest days, adding that GTR would now be trying to get employees back to work so services could be reinstated.
Passengers should start to see improvements later in the summer, including completion of work at London Bridge, more drivers completing training, and new trains, which should lead to an improvement in overcrowding, he said.
One Edenbridge commuter who wanted to remain anonymous when speaking to the BBC, said his train to London ran hourly. A cancellation led to an hour's wait and then "two trains in one", while eight-carriage services could also be shortened to four.
He said: "Honestly, it's not safe. It's rush hour but you feel like you've done a day's work before you get to the office.
"The conditions we face each day are inhumane - commuters packed on to the point people are fainting and falling over."
Mick Cash, leader of the RMT, said: "This is crisis management on Britain's biggest rail franchise, a franchise that is now in terminal meltdown.
"The continuing attempt to blame this gross mismanagement on the frontline staff is a cynical and cowardly ploy by a company who have chosen to wage war on their passengers and workforce alike.
"The managers at GTR (Govia Thameslink Railway) pay themselves fat salaries and bonuses in reward for failure on an epic scale while the staff on the trains and platforms are left to take the blame for the bosses' incompetence.
"This emergency timetable enables Govia to cancel 15 per cent of their trains and rig their appalling performance figures to protect their profits.
"Instead of conniving with this scandal, the Government should fire GTR and immediately instruct the legal, public sector fall-back operation to take over."
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