Dim light in Marshlink tunnel

MarshLink Action Group (MLAG) was invited to the GTR Stakeholder Conference on Wednesday (15 June). GTR (Govia Thameslink Railway) is Southern Railway’s parent company, responsible through its various subsidiaries (including Southern), for rail operations across the whole of the south-east of the UK, an enormous area. More specifically, GTR’s franchise region runs from Cambridge, Peterborough and Kings Lynn in the north to the English Channel in the south; from Bognor Regis in the west to the North Sea in the east. So GTR services the London commuter belt and more, with the multitude of issues that creates.

Also attending the conference were many other passenger groups from across this enormous area, it seemed mostly from stations serviced by Southern and therefore with the same issues that the Marshlink service currently has with conflict between Southern and its employees resulting in an unpredictable and therefore abysmal service.

The keynote speaker at the conference was Charles Horton, Chief Executive of GTR. He was apologetic for the effect the conflict was having on services and therefore on passengers. But he was unrepentant, insisting the impositions they were making on driver and conductor practices were essential for the future of the service. He said 90 Southern conductors were reporting in with sickness each day compared with, traditionally, 5 per day. He conceded there was a reliance on overtime working that they would like to reduce but, in fact, this has exacerbated the problems. He argued that two unions, ASLEF and RMT, had declared their opposition to driver-only operated trains but insisted that the trains would be operated by two staff, a driver (who with modern technology could oversee safety issues from the cab better than a conductor on the station platform) and a conductor (who would be passenger-focussed). Meanwhile, the unions say passenger safety will be compromised if drivers operate the doors. All of this just results in a stalemate, with passengers picking up the fallout in time lost and unpredictable and inconsistent services – so how will it be resolved with neither side being prepared to back down. ACAS has been involved in negotiations but the latest attempt, this week, further polarised views, resulting in Southern confirming they would implement the planned on-board changes on 21 August and the RMT declaring another strike day next Tuesday, 21 June.

Away from this chaotic situation, MLAG is very keen to see some progress with the current 2-car diesel trains being replaced by hybrid trains (with more capacity and more reliability), originally projected by Southern to be available by mid-2017: these hybrids are Electrostar units (the electric trains you will see operating on the Hastings to Charing Cross line) with a diesel engine attached that generates electricity to drive the train when not on electric track. There has been silence on progress since it was originally announced towards the end of last year, but we understand a proposal has been made to the Department for Transport on this (we don’t know what proposal, so a bit weak and not to be relied on without further corroboration) and an answer is awaited. We await developments but will write our own letter to Southern for advice on any progress.

Elsewhere, in search of some concrete progress in the rail system, work continues on London Bridge Station which, when complete, will provide more capacity and reliability to the Charing Cross route.

So, apart from that, reluctantly, all MLAG can forecast is more toil, tears and sweat before things get better.

Stuart Harland is Chairman of MarshLink Action Group