Southern Railway Given Permission To Cancel 350 Trains Every Day

The Government has been criticised for allowing under-fire Southern Railway to cancel an additional 350 trains every day as part of an emergency timetable.

Southern passengers have endured weeks of delays and cancellations because of staff sickness and a series of strikes over the role of conductors.

The RMT union has now claimed that the new timetable, set to be introduced next week, will see even less trains available for commuters.

RMT general secretary Mick Cash said: “This latest savage attack on passenger services by Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) is nothing to do with staff sickness and everything to do with gross mismanagement of this franchise and the failure to employ enough guards and drivers to fill the current rosters and diagrams.

"The continuing attempt to blame the frontline workforce for this crisis is a cynical and cowardly ploy that will not wash with the travelling public.”

Delays: Southern passengers have endured weeks of misery (Southern Railway)

A spokesman from GTR, which runs Southern Railway, said the new timetable “will aim to give passengers a more predictable service they can plan around”.

He added: “This will be a temporary measure until train crew availability levels return to normal.”

A Transport Department spokesman said: “We are clear that GTR passengers are not getting the service they deserve and the current situation is unacceptable.

"We are aware that GTR is considering some changes in order to strengthen their timetable in the face of ongoing disruption, so as many services as possible can run.

"When this happens, operators are contractually obliged to inform us in advance, but these decisions are taken only when there is no other solution, and this does not amount to the Government giving permission.”

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