Letter to Charles Horton GTR CEO

Tim has written to Govia Thameslink Railway's Chief Operating Office, Charles Horton, about GTR's woeful performance figures and poor response to RMT's industrial action, particularly when it comes to processing compensation claims as efficiently and sympathetically as possible. Tim has also asked, along with other MPs, an update meeting with the Rail Minister, representatives from GTR and Network Rail, and others to follow up on their meeting in January to see what the Government is doing to alleviate the current problems and holding GTR and Network Rail to account.

Here is the full letter:

I am again being deluged with complaints in emails and on social media from constituents having a torrid time trying to get to work on GTR's trains and demanding action from their MP and the Government. As last week's national figures confirmed the performance by GTR trains has got worse and remains at the bottom of the train operator league table. The current sustained industrial action exacerbated by a surge in so-called staff 'sickness' is the final straw for many people. Presumably that will guarantee that the performance figures for the next period remain woeful.

Whilst I have little sympathy with the action of RMT which seems designed to maximise inconvenience to the travelling public rather than GTR it is entirely in the power of your company to deal with resulting compensation claims as efficiently and sympathetically as possible. Yet I have received numerous accounts of how claims have not been honoured, ignored or taken ages to resolve. In the circumstances GTR should surely be going out its way to accommodate commuters whose travel plans have been severely wrecked.

The public have also received very little in the way of communication about the details of strike and associated 'sickness' action, how you are trying to resolve it and how passengers can best plan for it. The highly controversial issue of closure of the ticket offices has also gone very quiet and I'm led to believe that your plans have now been relegated to a possible pilot scheme but again no information has been forthcoming to pass on to concerned constituents. When we last met improved communications was an 'ask' that I was assured would be delivered.

Finally the subject of the Shoreham station subway has made no progress much to my frustration and that of the Shoreham Society and local pedestrians. Whilst Network Rail have the lead on this Alasdair Coates took ages to reply and then more recently there has been a frankly laughable email suggesting looking at the prospect of shelters either side of the level crossing. You promised that GTR would be part of a 'roundtable' to look at new proposals and I would be grateful if you would now use your influence to push network Rail to progress this.

I note we are due to meet when you come to parliament with your colleagues in a coupe, of weeks' time and I greatly hope you have some more reassuring information because my constituents' patience is being sorely tried, as is mine and I usually only have to use the train service from Sussex to London once a week either way.

Yours ever

Tim Loughton MP

Member of Parliament for East Worthing & Shoreham