Latest Rail News

10.07.18

Bring parts of GTR franchise under control of TfL, says deputy mayor for transport

London’s new deputy mayor for transport has called on the government to bring significant parts of struggling Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) franchise under control of TfL.

Heidi Alexander’s comments come after the Mayor of London Sadiq Khan wrote to Chris Grayling demanding talks to get underway about transferring many of the franchise’s key London routes to TfL as soon as 2020.

Under a proposed restructure of the GTR franchise, responsibility for the London services currently run by Southern and Great Northern (TSGN) would come under TfL control in 2020, the earliest opportunity if GTR has its franchise stripped early.

GTR have been in the headlines frequently in the past several months, most notably for apologising following its tumultuous introduction of new timetables on 20 May. The company faces being stripped of its franchises unless performances on its services rapidly improve.

Mayor Khan has offered the help of TfL officials to assist in improving the franchise, noting that cooperation is needed across government and party lines to ensure GTR customers enjoy a more reliable and frequent service.

Speaking at a transport conference last week, Alexander said Govia Thameslink’s services are “blighting the lives of Londoners,” adding that GTR could damage the city’s econoy if it continues further.

“Transport for London’s record of running successful rail services in the capital shows that giving it control of GTR’s beleaguered routes out of Moorgate is a no-brainer,” she noted. “The Mayor has offered the immediate assistance of TfL staff to work with the DfT to make the franchise work better, ahead of TfL being ready to take over the entire service in 2020.”

Last month chief executive Charles Horton resigned from the company following “huge frustration” from passengers using the GTR’s services.

In May GTR suffered a second consecutive year where passenger numbers fell— industrial disputes, staffing issues, and cancellations led to a fall of around 2 million users in 2017-18.

Enjoying RTM? Subscribe here to receive our weekly news updates or click here to receive a copy of the magazine!

Image credit:  Isabel Infantes, EMPICS Entertainment

Comments

There are no comments. Why not be the first?

Add your comment

related

Rail industry Focus

View all News

Comment

The challenge of completing Crossrail

05/07/2019The challenge of completing Crossrail

With a new plan now in place to deliver Crossrail, Hedley Ayres, National Audit Office manager, major projects and programmes, takes a look at ho... more >
Preparing the industry to deliver trains for the future

04/07/2019Preparing the industry to deliver trains for the future

The move to decarbonise the rail network involves shifting to cleaner modes of traction by 2050. David Clarke, technical director at the Railway ... more >

Most Read

'the sleepers' blog

On the right track, Sulzer is awarded RISAS accreditation for Nottingham Service Centre

29/06/2020On the right track, Sulzer is awarded RISAS accreditation for Nottingham Service Centre

Following an independent audit, Sulzer’s Nottingham Service Centre has been accepted as part of the rail industry supplier approval scheme (RISAS). The accreditation reinforces the high-quality standards that are maintained by Sulzer’s... more >
read more blog posts from 'the sleeper' >

Interviews

Andrew Haines, CE of Network Rail, tells BBC News his organisation could issue future rail franchises

24/06/2019Andrew Haines, CE of Network Rail, tells BBC News his organisation could issue future rail franchises

Andrew Haines, the Chief Executive of Network Rail, has told the Today programme on Radio 4's BBC’s flagship news programme that he would not rule out his organisation issuing future r... more >
Advancing the rail industry with management degree apprenticeships

08/05/2019Advancing the rail industry with management degree apprenticeships

In answering the pressing questions of how current and future generations of managers can provide solutions to high-profile infrastructure projects across the UK, Pearson Business School, part of... more >