Southern Railway to cut 341 trains a day in revised timetable

Revised service on all Southern routes on Mondays to Fridays from Monday 11 July until further notice

Map of revised Southern services (Southern Railway)

Southern Railway, the crisis-hit rail company, has confirmed it will cut 341 trains a day as part of a revised weekday schedule.

On Monday, it emerged that the Government had given the troubled company permission to introduce an emergency timetable allowing it to cancel another 350 trains a day.

Southern’s temporary weekday schedule will start next Monday, following weeks of delays and cancellations due to industrial action over the role of conductors and a shortage of staff.

A map of the revised timetable is available on the Southern website.

The company said the revised schedule aimed to reduce the impact of unpredictable cancellations on travellers and staff. It blamed high levels of staff sickness and the crew “unwillingness” to work overtime for the disruptions.

Alex Foulds, Southern passenger services director, said the revised schedule is “the best thing” the company can do for its customers.

“We are introducing this temporary weekday revised timetable with reluctance but it is the best thing we can do for our passengers who have been suffering daily cancellations ever since this dispute with the RMT began, and for which we are sincerely sorry,” Foulds said.

Foulds said the revised timetable should give a better and more consistent service to the majority of passengers. He also recognised it has been a difficult time for Southern employees.

“Whilst our first priority is our passengers, we also understand that this has been a difficult time for our staff. Conductors already know that their jobs are guaranteed, that there will be no reduction in salary and that the independent rail safety body has confirmed our plans are safe,” he said.

Foulds said the company has also decided to restore staff leisure travel benefits.

The operator, run by Govia Thameslink (GTR), said it is also taking action to encourage staff back to work and working with the Government to introduce more generous passenger compensation.

Changes under the temporary timetable include the suspension of Southern’s West London Line services between Milton Keynes and Clapham Junction and reductions in service on the Coastway routes.

Buses will replace most trains between Seaford and Lewes, and a reduced off-peak service between Tonbridge and Redhill where passengers for Victoria will need to change trains.

But Mick Cash, general secretary of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union, accused the rail franchise of “crisis management” and said the firm was now in “terminal meltdown”.

“The continuing attempt to blame this gross mismanagement on the frontline staff is a cynical and cowardly ploy by a company who have chosen to wage war on their passengers and workforce alike.

”This emergency timetable enables Govia to cancel 15 per cent of their trains and rig their appalling performance figures to protect their profits,” Cash said.

The Transport Select Committee is to take evidence from RMT, which has called four strikes since April, about what has caused the huge level of cancellations on the line.

The union, which is in dispute with GTR over the introduction of more driver-only operated services, including a change in conductors’ role, said short staffing, stress-related illness and inflexible shift patterns since the strike are to blame.