19 July 2016
RMT Press Office:
Despite "emergency timetable" Govia Thameslink performance remains at rock-bottom as management shambles continues.
RAIL UNION RMT today demanded urgent action from the new Transport Secretary and his team as the latest performance figures revealed that, despite being allowed to cancel nearly 350 trains a day under the so-called “emergency timetable” the service on GTR is still at rock bottom as the gross mismanagement of the routes continues unchecked.
The figures for Sunday show that overall PPM is at 73% with the right-time measure at 51%.
The premium Gatwick Express service, once one of the best performers on the rail network, has been systematically run into the ground by Govia with a “Right Time” measure of just over one third of trains – making it a global laughing stock for international visitors seeking to make a flight on time out of the airport.
Performance on the Southern Mainline and Southern Coastway routes has sunk even further with less than a quarter of trains making the “Right Time” measure over the weekend.
RMT General Secretary Mick Cash said;
“These figures are truly shocking and show why the Rail Minister Claire Perry decided to jack it in and try and smuggle out the announcement of her resignation at the back end of last week when the news schedule was rammed-out with major global and domestic stories.
“RMT has already written to Chris Grayling asking for an urgent meeting. He has said that he wants to address the crisis on Southern as a priority and the idea that he can do that without taking full account of the views of our members working at the sharp end of this failing franchise is untenable.
“If the politicians continue to try and blame the staff for the failings on these routes it will be a massive missed opportunity that lets GTR off the hook yet again. The real problems on Govia Thameslonk remain gross mismanagement, a chronic shortage of fleet and capacity and a failure to recruit enough staff to fill the rosters and diagrams.
Those problems are compounded by a drive to undermine and attack the safety-critical staff who are crucial to the running of the railway.
“It is those issues that the new transport team must be forced to address.”
Ends
Unity House
Tel: 020 7387 4771
Email: