DfT questions Govia
Survey rates Southern service as “appalling”, as Rail Minister questions if Govia should bid for rail franchises.
RAIL Minister Claire Perry has questioned whether Govia should bid for rail franchises until performance improves - but fell short of announcing a review of the Govia Thameslink Railway franchise.
Speaking on Radio 4’s Today programme on July 11, Perry said: “It’s been quite clear to me that companies who cannot deliver a good service - particularly over the things they can control - should not be bidding for new franchises, and we need to be absolutely clear about that. We need to ask serious questions about their performance going forward.”
She added: “The company’s industrial relations handling has not been good. Collectively the system has not delivered for customers. If I were to say today the Department [for Transport] is to run the franchise, would anything change? The problems we’ve got are a major engineering works and a series of industrial actions, both of which would continue regardless of whose name is on the door. We’ve got to get the company and the unions to sort out their differences.”
The Department for Transport moved to reassure on-board GTR staff on July 11, with Perry saying: “I do understand that train staff worry that the change to roles could be the thin end of the wedge. They are concerned that at the end of the GTR franchise a new operator might come in and reverse those promises.
“I want to reassure staff that a busy, growing and successful railway will need more people, not fewer, to help passengers in future. The jobs those people do will be skilled and not dumbed down or
contracted out.
“The Government, in specifying future franchises, will ensure that operators are committed to investing in the skills of their workforce, including on-board staff. In return, I ask only that staff and unions help us to modernise and improve services compatible with the modern trains we are introducing for passengers.
“There is no threat to safety, jobs or pay from the introduction of new trains and no excuse left for industrial action. This is now a big test for the RMT: are you on the side of passengers and employees, or needless disruption?”