HS2

12.12.16

Southern tells passengers not to travel after appeal fails

Southern Rail is anticipating such severe disruption because of tomorrow’s Aslef strike that it is warning passengers not to travel at all.

The Court of Appeal rejected the latest attempt to get an injunction against the three-day strike, after the initial application made by Southern’s parent company Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) was overturned by the High Court.

The operator warned before the decision that because of the late timing of the Court of Appeal's ruling, which arrived late on Monday afternoon, it would not be possible to get trains and drivers in a viable position for tomorrow and it will not be able to run more than an “extremely limited” service.

Angie Doll, passenger services director for Southern, said: "Services will ... be very heavily impacted tomorrow. We will work through the night to try and provide as many services as possible, but we are still advising passengers not to travel as we will not be able to offer a robust service they can rely on.

“We are sorry but the industrial action by ASLEF leaves us no viable alternative, but be assured we will do all we can overnight.” 

The appeal is an unprecedented admission from Southern, which has struggled throughout the year to deliver adequate services in the face of an ongoing industrial dispute over plans to introduce driver-only operated (DOO) trains, and extensive infrastructure work.

GTR has spent two years at the bottom of the rail company performance table, and a Transport Select Committee report recently accused the government of a “woeful” failure to assess the company’s suitability before it took over the contract last year.

It has now promised to pay a month’s fares to around 84,000 Southern passengers in compensation for the ongoing disruptions.

Following the Court of Appeal's decision, Charles Horton, chief executive of GTR, confirmed there will be no train services for passengers tomorrow, Wednesday and Friday, calling the strikes "wholly unjustified and unnecessary".

"Naturally we are disappointed with this decision. We had a responsibility to the travelling public to do what we could to stop this unprecedented strike action," Horton said.

"Regrettably, there will be no train services for passengers tomorrow, Wednesday and Friday. We strongly advise people not to travel.  In addition, there will be severe disruption every day during the ongoing industrial action because of the union's overtime ban."

GTR will now be asking the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (ACAS) to convene urgent talks between GTR and Aslef to find a resolution to the union's dispute, Horton added.

Last week, transport secretary Chris Grayling ruled out plans for more London rail services to be devolved, despite offers from London mayor Sadiq Khan to take over Southern immediately. He was subsequently accused of making the decision for political motives after a leaked letter revealed that he was opposed to allowing a “future Labour mayor” to take over rail services since before he became secretary.

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