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Trains cancelled today – Great Northern, Thameslink and Southern cancellations and delays after timetable change

There was major disruption across dozens of train routes as seven times more alterations than normal were made to train schedules due to new services being launched

RAIL passengers suffered delays and cancellations after a new timetable was introduced.

Here is all we know about what's been dubbed “meltdown Monday”

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Commuters were furious after being caught up in travel chaosCredit: Alamy

What trains are cancelled and delayed today?

Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) rescheduled every service on its Great Northern, Thameslink and Southern franchise as part of an overhaul billed as the biggest in the UK.

There was major disruption across dozens of routes as seven times more alterations than normal were made to train schedules due to new services being launched.

One in seven (14 per cent) of its services were cancelled on Monday morning, with a further 17 per cent delayed by at least five minutes.

For up-to-date information .

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The train firms says the timetable changes will make services betterCredit: PA:Press Association

Why change the train timetable?

The timetable shake-up is designed to increase overall frequencies and reliability.

Many of the changes are a result of the £7billion invested in the Thameslink programme in the South East, including rebuilding London Bridge station, new trains and track improvements.

GTR's new timetable was developed from scratch and was designed to tackle existing issues by extending stop times at busier stations and increasing turnaround times at destination stations.

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There will be almost 400 additional GTR trains every day.

Some passengers in a number of locations have complained that they are being served with fewer or slower services, including in Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire, Kent, East Sussex and Surrey, where many people pay several thousand pounds for a season ticket.

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What do the rail operators say?

South East England's Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) - which consists of Southern, Thameslink, Great Northern and Gatwick Express - said services in its new timetable are being introduced "incrementally" as drivers and trains are redeployed.

A spokesman said: "Despite some cancellations, passengers will benefit from an overall increase in capacity with immediate effect."

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But Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham described the situation as "appalling" and claimed Transport Secretary Chris Grayling "needs to intervene today".

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