As regular readers of the Crawley Observer may recall, it is less than two months since I last used these pages to write about the ongoing disruption experienced by commuters on the Southern and Thameslink railway lines.
Considering the further disruption experienced, particularly in the week leading up to Easter, I feel compelled to use these pages once again to provide an update on this issue.
Two weeks ago, on 16th March, I took part in a debate in Parliament on the very issue of the performance of Govia Thameslink Railway (who provide both Southern and Thameslink services) and Network Rail.
Such debates, which take place in the Grand Committee Room in Westminster Hall rather than the House of Commons chamber, still have the relevant member of the Government who is called to account. In this case, it was the Rail Minister, Claire Perry MP. I am pleased that she was in attendance to hear MPs raise how one in 20 of all Thameslink, Southern and Great Northern trains were either 30 minutes late or cancelled over the last year.
An issue that I raised alongside other parliamentary colleagues was that of ticket offices.
There are proposals for the changing of opening hours of some ticket offices on the network, some of these changes include the closure of offices and having staff on hand to provide assistance to commuters using ticket machines, and these staff selling tickets that the machines do not provide.
I have written to management of GTR to seek clarification on a number of issues for their proposals, including the issue of when ticket offices will indeed be manned.
This is not to say that new technology should not be embraced, however I have concerns about the how GTR are moving on this issue.
I am also supporting a campaign from consumer champions ‘Which?’, calling on clearer information for passengers on how to claim for a refund due to rail delays, and for all train operators to offer cash as a default for refunds.
If your journey is delayed by 30 minutes or more you are entitled to compensation. I would urge passengers facing disruption to ensure you claim for any compensation you are entitled to.