​SOUTHERN RESTORES OVER 100 TRAINS TO TIMETABLE

Customers of Southern Railway today received some much-needed good news with the announcement that the train operator will reinstate 119 train services back into its timetable next Monday (5th September).

It says that over a third of the 341 trains cancelled on July 11 as part of a temporary timetable, introduced following unprecedented sickness levels by Southern staff, will be restored next week to inner London services, almost all London Bridge peak trains and an enhanced service to Southern's West London Line.

And it has also confirmed that it will bring back the remaining train services to its timetable incrementally in the coming weeks.

The following services to be restored on 5th September are:

• All inner-London “metro” services
• Guildford – Leatherhead
• Sutton – Streatham via Wimbledon
• London Bridge – Beckenham Junction
• On the West London Line 26 services will now operate, some as far as Milton Keynes, where, currently, just eight services have been running between Clapham and Watford Junction only

Charles Horton, GTR’s Chief Executive, said:

“We know how difficult life has been for our passengers recently and we are sincerely sorry. Our aim has been to bring back as much of the timetable as quickly as we could and for several weeks we've had 5th September as our target to begin the reinstatement of trains. We're pleased that we can restore a large chunk of our train timetable for our passengers on this date but we will not be satisfied until the full timetable is running, and running in a punctual way people can rely on.

“But with another RMT strike called for next week, passengers will be dismayed and angry, as we are, that the union has called yet further cynically-orchestrated action to try and scupper this improved service, and cause maximum disruption, damage and delay in the very week when many people go back to work and back to school after the summer break. But we will not be thwarted in our determination to give passengers their trains back. In the face of an intransigent RMT leadership, we're doing all we can to get our passengers back on track.

“The updated timetable will allow us to run a more comprehensive rush hour service with virtually a full peak service at London Bridge and 95% of peak train capacity at Victoria. We will continue to add services incrementally and we are aiming at restoring the full timetable in the coming weeks.

"However, while we'll do all we can to restore the services, we are faced with an unparalleled wave of strikes, unjustified industrial disputes and abnormal levels of train crew sickness. We are also part of a live railway network which can result, however much we don't want them, in unexpected incidents which do cause short notice cancellations and disruption. This is the start of the journey to restore the full timetable. It will take time to complete, but passengers can be assured it is now underway.”

The restored rail services, which will boost Southern and Gatwick Express services to 91% of its normal timetable (from 84% when the temporary timetable was introduced), are available in online journey planners. For more information, visit: www.nationalrail.co.uk.

Southern says that information on services during the RMT strike action on Wednesday and Thursday, 7 and 8 September will be announced in due course.

Ends

Editor’s notes:

The temporary weekday timetable was introduced on 11 July to reduce the impact on passengers and staff of unpredictable and late notice cancellations caused daily by unprecedented levels of train crew sickness.

Details of services to operate on the West London Line:

05.25 Balham to Milton Keynes Arrive 06.55
07.01 Milton Keynes to East Croydon Arrive 09.04
09.10 East Croydon to Milton Keynes Arrive 11.02
11.13 Milton Keynes to East Croydon Arrive 13.01
13.10 East Croydon to Milton Keynes Arrive 15.00
15.13 Milton Keynes to East Croydon Arrive 17.01
17.10 East Croydon to Milton Keynes Arrive 19.00
19.15 Milton Keynes to Clapham Junction Arrive 20.33
20.39 Clapham Junction to Milton Keynes Arrive 22.05
22.11 Milton Keynes to East Croydon Arrive 23.59

06.20 Clapham Junction to Watford Junction Arrive 06.57
07.25 Watford Junction to Clapham Junction Arrive 08.09
08.14 Clapham Junction to Shepherds Bush Arrive 08.29
08.34 Shepherds Bush to Clapham Junction Arrive 08.46
08.50 Clapham Junction to Shepherds Bush Arrive 09.03
09.07 Shepherds Bush to Clapham Junction Arrive 09.19
09.24 Clapham Junction to Shepherds Bush Arrive 09.37

07.30 Coulsdon Town to Watford Junction Arrive 09.01
09.15 Watford Junction to Clapham Junction Arrive 09.57

08.40 East Croydon to Shepherds Bush Arrive 09.18
09.33 Shepherds Bush to Clapham Junction Arrive 09.45

16.34 Kensington Olympia to Clapham Junction Arrive 16.43
16.49 Clapham Junction to Kensington Olympia Arrive 16.59
17.04 Kensington Olympia to Clapham Junction Arrive 17.13
17.20 Clapham Junction to Shepherds Bush Arrive 17.32
1747 Shepherds Bush to Purley Arrive 18.41