Southern rail strikes: On board the 5.20pm from Victoria – where passengers are losing their patience

Simon Calder rides the rush hour train back to the Home Counties alongside some of the Transport Secretary's embattled constituents

Victoria station, SW1, at 5.15pm: the height of the rush hour, but this evening it seems barely busier than a weekend. On platform 10, the 5.20pm to Horsham still has empty seats, filling up with standing passengers only in the last few minutes.

Chris Grayling, as far as I could tell, was not among them - but plenty of his constituents were. Mr Grayling is the MP for Epsom and Ewell, and also the new transport secretary, responsible - among much else - for the nation’s rail network. So this is the Grayling Express, taking people home to the Home Counties.

Earlier this afternoon the RMT agreed to call off the strike, but not in time to restore services for the evening rush-hour.

The train sets off south right on time, and at the first stop, Clapham Junction, its passenger load reduces by at least one-third. Everyone has a seat, which makes the 10-minute pause outside Sutton more bearable.

“I’d like to apologise for the delay,” said the driver. “We’re waiting for a red light to change.”

Even with only around half of the normal weekday services running from Victoria – when passengers were expecting none at all – congestion is still an issue.

Lyn and Juliet Metcalf, from Horsham, were returning early from a day out in London, curtailed because of the strike. They sympathised with the guards, but said they did not expect them to win this bitter dispute over who opens and closes the doors. At present, the guards do, but Southern wants the drivers to take over. The guards say safety will be compromised.

“They’re always incredibly pleasant and helpful, but it won’t get them very far,” said Lyn.

“I think they’re starting to lose the support of the public,” said Juliet. “Possibly like the miners’ strike.”

Outside Epsom Ann Keen was heading home to her children after an expensive day getting to work and back. She had this advice for Chris Grayling, her MP and ultimately the man who runs her trains: “He said when he came into post that he was going to make [the trains] his top priority. We haven’t heard much since. It would be good to get an update about that.

“I’ve just got a new job at London Bridge. I have to pay extra to go on South West Trains, because Southern is so unreliable.”

Doesn’t it make her despair? “I’ve been travelling by train for 20-odd years, so I’m kind of used to it.”