17 January 2017
RMT Press Office:
RMT calls for Southern Rail to be sacked as Which? report exposes appalling service levels.
Rail union RMT today called on the Government to take urgent action to terminate the Southern Rail contract and hand it over to the public sector operator as a new Which? survey uncovered appalling levels of passenger satisfaction.
The survey of over 2,000 commuter experiences found:
• Southern achieved a dismal score of just 21%. One year ago it had an overall customer score of 44%.
• Southern received just one-star ratings for punctuality, reliability, seat availability, frequency and value for money, with almost half (46%) of those surveyed reporting that their last journey was delayed. At two stars, the highest mark it received was for the availability and cleanliness of its toilets and general condition of the carriages.
General Secretary Mick Cash said;
"This Which? Report show that Southern Rail are the absolute worst of a bad-bunch when it comes to Britain's rotten, privatised railways. The responsibility for the catastrophic mismanagement of this crucial rail operation lies fairly and squarely with the Government and their contractors GTR.
"This scandal cannot be allowed to continue. GTR and their French-backers, who routinely put private profits before passenger services and safety, must be stripped of this franchise with the public sector given a chance to sort this mess out once and for all."
Ends.
Unity House
Tel: 020 7387 4771
Email: