The Argus calls on the Government to step in and sort out our trains

Sussex has the worst performing service in the country with scores of trains cancelled each day.

On Friday, Govia Thameslink (GTR), which runs Southern Railway, Thameslink and Gatwick Express, was responsible for almost two thirds (517) of all cancelled or very late services across the entire country.

And with continued high levels of sickness among Southern staff - which some have claimed to be a form of industrial action - there appears to be no end in sight.

The Argus yesterday requested to speak to rail minister Claire Perry but we were told she was unavailable.

Instead we asked her to send over details of what the Department for Transport (DfT) is doing to resolve the situation.

While she said passengers were getting a "really poor service" her 546 word statement did not address our question.

Instead she heralded the multi-billion pound works being carried out and criticised unions for opposing the move to driver-only trains.

She said: "I realise that the current situation is frustrating and that promises of future improvements do not reassure people trying to get to and from their jobs and homes now.

"I will continue to monitor the situation and I will not hesitate to seek further improvements and to do all we can to make sure your train services run on time."

Peter Kyle, MP for Hove, described the Government's response to the ongoing problems as "extremely poor".

He said: "They can make every promise under the sun but they need to show respect to the passengers by telling them what they are going to do to improve and when it is going to happen.

"This means nothing.

"It sounds managerial but what we need is an improvement plan.

"I don't care who runs the service: Govia, Virgin, the Government - as long as someone sorts it out."

The Argus can reveal GTR, which was awarded the franchise to run Southern, Thameslink and Gatwick Express, has a risk free contract with the Government worth billions.

As part of the agreement, GTR receives an annually fee from the DfT, regardless of how many people use their services.

Part of the fee is performance related - but the DfT could not confirm last night what that percentage is.

In return for this deal GTR pays the DfT money raised from fares - thus protecting the operator from any falls in revenue.

A transport expert told The Argus that as GTR cannot make money from increased revenue, it has to make savings - such as introducing driver only trains and ticket office closures - to make extra profit.

Meanwhile GTR bosses yesterday met with ACAS and said their door remained open to union officials.

Detailing what they had done to solve ongoing issues, a spokesman added they had protected passengers by seeking an injunction against striking drivers from the Aslef union.

Commuters have also told The Argus of their frustration over recent weeks.

Craig Tanner, who commutes from Eastbourne to Brighton each day, said: "Performance has slipped dramatically recently from an already poor performance to an utterly laughable service."

Paul Hutton, from Hove, who commutes to London, called on the franchise to be stripped from GTR.

He said: "It is rare I manage to get to and from work without some sort of disruption. Something has to change."

Also read: The Argus leader column - Fed up with trains

GOVERNMENT NEEDS TO STEP IN AND SORT OUT THIS MESS

IF YOU are a regular user of the trains in Sussex, two words will stir up very strong feelings.

But who are Govia Thameslink (GTR), how have we ended up with this diabolical train service and how can it be sorted out?

GTR is the largest rail franchise in the UK with 273 million passenger journeys each year.

It started running Thameslink and Great Northern in September 2014 and in July 2015 it took control of Southern and Gatwick Express routes after being awarded the franchise by the Government.

Its chief executive is Charles Horton, who has been in the post since September 2014. He has worked in trains for much of his life having previously headed Southern and Southeastern. GTR refused to reveal his salary yesterday.

GTR’s latest financial accounts, which run up to June 2015 – before it took on Southern and Gatwick Express – show an annual turnover of £394 million.

However, the company’s financial account states that it is dependent on its parent company, Govia, for continued support. Govia was formed in the late 1990s when rail services were being privatised.

It runs two other franchises other than GTR; in Southeastern (which serves parts of East Sussex and Kent) and London Midland.

In turn Govia is jointly owned by North East transport giant Go-Ahead Group (65 per cent) and private sector French transport group Keolis, which owns the rest.

The former is one of the largest businesses in the country with bus companies in cities all over the UK – including Go-Ahead in Brighton and Hove. The latter, based just a short walk from the Louvre in Paristhe French capital, employs a staggering 54,600 people and turned over €5.1 billion in 2013 .

There is certainly no shortage of money behind GTR.

So why do we have to put up with such a second-rate train service?

The franchise contract agreed between the Department for Transport (DfT) and GTR in 2014 may have something to do with it.

A transport expert told The Argus that given the risks associated with taking on the franchise over seven years – which includes the disruptive works at London Bridge – any potential bidder needed to be enticed in with a risk-free contract.

As a result GTR is protected from any falling revenue by a clause which states all revenue collected goes to the DfT.

GTR in return receives a guaranteed franchise fee each year, part of which is dependent on performance. How much of which is dependent on performance, the DfT could not confirm last night.

There is a clause in the contract which states a failure to comply with the agreement could see the franchise taken away – something Caroline Lucas MP among others have called for.

Sussex has endured one of the worst performing train services in the country for a number of years.

This has been put down to ageing and limited infrastructure and high demand.

As demand has continued to grow, GTR has been hit with fresh problems after trying to usher in new driver-only trains on the Southern network.

Driver-only services have already been running on Thameslink services for a number of years.

Company bosses argue it has worked well on Thameslink and it should be introduced to Southern.

But unions have opposed the changes claiming the loss of conductors will make some of the busiest services in the country unsafe.

Strikes have been held this spring with a number of others called off at the eleventh hour.

The RMT claims GTR is trying to squeeze every last penny out of passengers – regardless of the consequences.

Coinciding with the dispute, Southern has experienced high level of sickness among its conductors throughout the spring. Many, including West Worthing MP Sir Peter Bottomley, have claimed the mass sickness is in fact a form of organised industrial action.

The RMT has denied this and said any member found to have been engaging in such action “would have the rule book thrown at them”.

Regardless, it has led to weeks of disruption across Southern’s network with dozens of trains cancelled each day.

NowTo add to the train operator’s problems, Southern and Gatwick Express drivers have also voted to strike. The Aslef union for drivers said its members backed walkouts by 84 per cent but GTR took the union to the High Court claiming it had breached rules.

Mr Justice Supperstone issued an injunction to stop any strike until a judge had fully investigated GTR’s claims that the union had acted unlawfully at a trial. A hearing has been set for June 27.

There is no light at the end of the tunnel. And ultimately it is the passenger who suffers. That is why we today are calling on the Government to step in and sort this mess out.

THE RAIL MINISTER IN HER OWN WORDS

By Claire Perry MP

As Rail Minister, I want passengers to be given the best possible services on our railway. That’s why we are investing record amounts to transform them and deliver better journeys for all.

Nowhere is that more important than through the £6 billion investment in the Thameslink route, that will deliver 115 new trains, which will begin entering passenger service later this year, meaning more space and better journeys for those readers travelling between Brighton and London.

The programme also includes the rebuilding of tracks and the station at London Bridge meaning there will be 24 services every hour into central London and many more options to travel right through the heart of London - from Cambridge to Brighton direct for example.

There is also a major upgrade programme happening at London Victoria station, with £700 million being spent on this station which serves many commuters from Brighton.

All of this investment is being made without driving up fares - we have promised to freeze fares at the level of inflation for this parliament which will save over £400 from the cost of a season ticket over this period.

But while this is all good news, it is of poor comfort to those of you who have been getting a really poor service in some cases and like you, I am deeply frustrated by what is happening on too many occasions on your train journeys.

Passengers on the Southern Routes in the GTR franchise deserve better. Part of the problem is that this piece of the rail network is the largest and most complex in the country, and has seen a huge increase in demand for services.

The Thameslink programme has put pressure on the whole system and, this makes it more difficult for services to return to normal when things go wrong.

The temporary restrictions on speed and capacity that are necessary to improve London Bridge have made this more difficult.

To further add to the challenge, GTR has been in dispute with trade unions, who are currently protesting against the changes that passengers have told us they want, including the introduction of longer trains and more customer-facing staff.

The courts have ruled several strikes illegal, but the unions keep threatening needless industrial action, while a recent sharp increase in unauthorised staff absence, has caused totally unacceptable disruption for passengers.

I would urge the unions to work with the operator to resolve these issues for the sake of people who rely on these services.

As the upgrade works happen, it has become clear that the level of disruption meant the timetable could not be relied on, so my department has worked with GTR to put in place a more reliable timetable that reflects the impact of work on the railway.

This is not intended to let the company off the hook but to give passengers a reliable, effective service while this vital work is carried out.

I realise that the current situation is frustrating and that promises of future improvements do not reassure people trying to get to and from their jobs and homes now.

I will continue to monitor the situation and I will not hesitate to seek further improvements and to do all we can to make sure your train services run on time.