Live Southern Rail Question House of Commons

Order. Urging question, Caroline Lucas. Mr Speaker, could the

Minister make a statement on Southern Rail services?

Thank you Mr Speaker. Performance on the southern network has been

affected by a combination of factors over the previous months. These have

included trade union action, infrastructure reliability and

operator issues. The unions have struck industry production in the

run-up to Christmas. Let me be clear, this strike action is

politically motivated. It has affected mass passengers were far

too long. Union leaders have even described this as carrying on

Fidel's work. This will be of no comfort to passengers, who just want

to get to work. For the director of railway safety in the office for

rail and road. Responding to the safety concern from the unions, Ian

Prosser says, DOO is safe. The RNC and Aslef should not be... Once

again I can assure the hard-working staff on GTR franchise that no

trained staff are losing pay and no one is losing their job. Passengers

want and deserve improvements, which is why in September the Secretary of

State appointed Chris Gibb, a leading railway professional, to

work with the operator and Network Rail to identify areas where

performance on the network can be improved quickly. Some of these

interventions are under way and would be making a significant

difference by now, were it not for the fact that owing to continued

industrial action by RMT and now planned action by Aslef, Southern

Rail Services are to be subject to further delays and alterations now

and over the coming weeks. In recognition, the Secretary of State

announced on the 2nd of September a refund package that will compensate

season-ticket holders with a package equivalent to one free month in act

knowledge of exceptional issues this year. They also announced that GTR

would be the first franchise to introduce... Starting an 11th of

December. But compensation alone is not enough, we have to restore a

timely, reliable and predictable train service. That is why the work

of Mr Gibb is focusing on reducing the Network Rail faults, it is why

we have new safety on trains that can cope with the number of people

wanting to use them, it is why I've continued to ensure that the train

operating company is doing everything in its power to run

improved services. But we also need union leaders to stop their

needless, unreasonable, disproportionate and politically

motivated strikes. Caroline Lucas. Thank you, Mr Speaker. I thank the

Minister for that reply. I put this question today with cross-party

support for members right across the house because on Friday we heard

that Southern Rail Services will be Mr Gandhi disrupted every day from

tomorrow until further notice. That grim warning of imminent service

collapse comes on top of more than two years of rail chaos, long before

any strikes happened. Back in May 2015 the then rail minister said

that our ministers were flashing red in her department. 18 months on, my

constituents are regularly in tears of anger and frustration, jobs are

being lost, relationships being broken up, the economy seriously

damaged. This situation is intolerable and the Government can't

just simply wash its hands of involvement. So will the Minister

roll up its sleeves -- his sleeves and get stuck in to resolve the

prices acrobatic space crisis. Will he convene a meeting with the unions

and with GTR to make this -- work this out and restore some

reliability to this vital public service, and in so doing, show that

he is not prepared to allow this crucial piece of infrastructure to

simply collapse? To end this stalemate, will his department take

charge of this contract in the open, strip GTR of the franchise, bring it

back in-house and that at least would increase the transparency

around what is going on here. When four example with a concrete

timetable, GTR reporting its performance be revealed? Will

published date of the published weekly and where? It is tied to make

it accountable. Will he answer the outstanding questions and today

provide urgent clarity about whether GTR is in default? The transport

committee called for a decision on GTR in early 2016 but it is now

December, why hasn't he answered on time? I don't think the Minister has

any idea of the pain that passengers and ministers in Brighton and beyond

are suffering, because if he did he would be doing more about it. We

have a catastrophic stalemate. What exactly is the minister going to do

about this? My constituents in Brighton want to hear that he is

going to get involved. Anything else is not enough. Minister Maynard. I'm

grateful for her urgent question. But the best thing she can do under

half of her constituents is to go and speak to her close friends in

the RMT and tell them to call off their disproportionate and

unreasonable industrial action. That is the best contribution she can

make. Not answering the question... Mr Speaker, thank you very much for

calling me in with this important, urgent question because this is not

just about the Brighton mainline but communities in my own area. Students

trying to get to school from Edenbridge to Tonbridge and others

have been going to misery. The nationalised Network Rail has failed

us again and again. Can the Minister please get on with sorting them out

too? Minister. My honourable friend is entirely right to point out the

impact this is having on his constituents in Kent. I travelled

through London Bridge and saw some of the delays that were occurring.

He's quite right. But the only long-term solution for this

overburdened part of the network is for both Network Rail and the train

operating companies to allow the incentives to work together to fix

the underlying problems that plagued this network. Andy McDonald. Thank

you Mr Speaker. This house is still having to address the abysmal

service provided by Southern Rail after a year and a half of

substandard service is testament to both Southern's incompetence and the

extent to which this Government is committed to privatise rail even

when franchises have become so deeply dysfunctional that they are

unable to provide a decent public service. Mr Speaker, GTR should be

stripped of their franchise long ago for failing to plan properly to take

on the franchise as they themselves have admitted and providing what is

by far the country's worst rail service. Instead the government have

defended the southern to the hilt excusing or their failings of being

the result of unavoidable industrial dispute allowing the cancellation of

hundreds of services and repeatedly throwing tax because Manny had the

problem. The honourable gentleman will sell us about Mr Gibb but why

not about Mr Robinson who says he wants to staff the RMT back to work

and he wants those people out of his well away industry. On Friday it was

announced that Southern season-ticket holders would eligible

for compensation eligible to a month's travel. Yet more money spent

on the service. But they announced, session will apply to around 84,000

passengers and yet Southerners responsible for 6,020,000 passenger

journeys per year. While any amount of conversation is welcome Will the

Minister take this opportunity to acknowledge that the measures

announced on Friday will not come close to compensating the majority

of passengers who have suffered Southern's abysmal service for the

past year and a half and considering the fair I is scheduled for the

start of the a few commuters receiving compensation those were

wiped out by inflation busting fares. Sadly Mr Speaker a decent

rail service... I know how to deal with these managers. Members are

taking too long. The minister was just in time but am afraid the

honourable gentleman has exceeded his son. We have to establish a

disconnected means two minutes or under, not two and a half minutes or

three minutes. We have to stick to these procedures. I am surprised he

is so opposed to the idea of compensating southern passengers but

he is right about one thing. This is entirely irresolvable dispute. As he

rightly pointed out. It is resolvable because the RMT can

recognise this as a safe mode of operation, call out the strikes and

we can get on with improving the network. The Minister said no staff

would lose the job but cannot tell the Minister that is not the case

for some of my constituents who have been sacked because they have been

made. Has the balance of rights as possibilities in our society not

gone somewhat astray that in order to improve their terms and

conditions were actually costing other citizens their jobs. There is

a grossly disproportionate nature of this industrial action. He is right

to point out that commuters up and down the GTR network are

experiencing a poorer quality-of-life because of this

unwarranted industrial action. , go order, order. The shadow Secretary

of State should take some subtle soothing medicament, he will be

aware I suggested to his north-east colleagues sometime ago it might be

advisable to take up yoga because it will have a therapeutic effect. Or

even yoghurt. The overall situation for passengers is intolerable and

ever since and eat your heart receiving ?1 billion a year in fees

and the apartment is exposed to ?30 million of lost revenue. What can

the departments do to try to resolve this situation? Some months ago the

right Honourable Lady will Beer where that we asked Chris Gibb to

take a look into the operational by the network, the infrastructure and

the train operating company. We look forward to receiving his report by

the end of year which will guide us and how to make rapid noticeable

identifiable improvements. The RMT members who are adding to the

destruction of all our constituents are also the employees. Can we

please be told how much they earn, how many of them have signed up to

the new operating arrangements" what the issue is that is stopping them

from reaching an agreement and allowing other workers to work

reliably and students and teachers can get to work and old people visit

their friends? My right honourable friend is right to point out why

this is such a grossly disproportionate action from the

RMT. Over 220 of the 223 staff involved have signed up to the new

contracts to carry out the role of on-board supervisor. They are

striking against a role they have all agreed to take up. That is in my

view both unreasonable and disproportionate. Part of the

problem is that every single promise made from that dispatch box has not

improved the service on single iota in the last 18 months. Today there

was a non-strike day but it was a complete shambles between Brighton

and London. Will the Minister just say he will do whatever it takes to

improve this service? I entirely recognise that the service today has

been disappointing due to a broken rail between East Croydon and

Gatwick but that is happening far too often I see rightly points out.

I expect both GTR and Network Rail to address these underlying

performance issues. They can only do so if they are also faced with an

unwarranted, unjustifiable industrial action. My constituents

in Basingstoke who commute regularly look at the situation on Southern

with horror. What assurances can the Minister give that a similar such

action could not spread to other areas particularly as we are

currently renegotiating the contract. Recognise the honourable

Lady's concerned that I would say to her that we can all train operating

services across country to ensure they do have an account to operate a

reliable service and they will do that with whoever emerges. I have

the analysis of the feedback from the 1000 constituents who have been

in touch with me about the performance of Southern rail and it

is a catalogue of misery. The failure of Southern rail is

affecting my constituents's work, family love, health and well-being.

When will the Minister confirm real devolution for London so that

transport for London that has high levels of customer satisfaction can

run these services and where will my constituents's Southern Major --

misery on. Hope she will join with me in urging all sides in this

dispute to return to the negotiation table and reach an agreement to put

the needs of the passengers first, not the interests of the unions. , I

apologise for my interjection earlier. Mr Speaker, while

girlfriend was absolutely right to say that the price for the RMT's

self-indulgent politically motivated strike action is being felt on jobs

for young people turn to get to work. This is the undertow, its day

has wait gone and bad strike must end. But will my right honourable

friend find himself in a position to be able to confirm that the train

operating company 's will now be able to take greater control of the

works of Network Rail in the future so that we can solve some of the

structural problems? I thank the honourable gentleman. Camille very

gently telling that I now realise why 20s go the honourable gentleman

was affectionately described to me by the very near constituency

neighbour of his as "Peppery". , Crow I shall perhaps observe that

the secretary of state will be making a speech on this issue

tomorrow evening. He made there for wish to pay close attention to the

following day 's papers to learn more as to what might be announced.

I know it sits -- said some to blame problems on the union but my

constituents have been putting up with a disgraceful service for the

best part of two years. My honourable friend asked the question

about TEFL which has better satisfaction, we want this company,

GTR, stripped of the franchise. Will the Minister confirm, is it still

the intention of government to facilitate this and that we say to

him, we do not want to wait until 2021, get on and do it now. He is

certainly right to identify the problems that are occurring on the

network but the answer to this problems can only be solved if we

are not facing industrial action on the network day in, day out which

makes it impossible for those who wish to deal with both Network Rail

and GTR and other companies. Can the man Minister confirm that the

problems are caused by the film that has not been well run or by

unacceptable union practices which are rendered all the more this at

Christmas time? I thank my right honourable friend, it is an

important point. It is noticeable that the RMT adjusted its strike

days because of the public outrage. I would urge them to go one step

further and call off the strike altogether and get back around the

negotiating table. 'S coincidently I delivered a petition to number ten

this morning calling for Southern to be sacked. Will the Minister of

knowledge it is not just the unacceptable and pointless union

action that is causing chaos on the network but also repeated

necrophilia, a shortage of drivers, and when will the Minister step in

and take control of the failing company hand-pass was possible to

take to transport for London. We called for this as far back as 1999.

And ensure passengers are provided with much more generous

compensation. His analysis is correct but what I do not think the

fully appreciate is that the need to focus on Network Rail as the source

of many delays means we have to have full, rapid and ready access to the

track day in and day out. We cannot do that against a backdrop of

continual industrial action. I have long campaigned for compensation,

can I thank the Minister for the step toward it today. On the Posh

online we have a huge number of trains being cancelled or delayed.

As a result of failures to the cameras on board, that seem to work

very well as well. Camille Yu Cen to get GTR to get a grip on this. Why

that there is a technical fault or some other issue that is

interfering. My right honourable friend is owed assiduous credit and

I hope he will welcome last Friday's announcement. On the matter

regarding trends to Horsham I understand the faults on this

particular trains are running at almost double what is usually to be

expected. GTR are looking into the matter further. I will write to him

with the outcome of that investigation. Can I tell them of

stuff started committing from Forest Hill into London Bridge in 1963 and

in all that time subsequently, the service has never been as unreliable

and as chaotic as it is today. I do not use them a gradual, I use the

overground service but unfortunately large part of my constituency and

just about every other constituency concerned, do not have that option.

Many of my constituents blame Southern, some unions and some

Network Rail. We have heard about track failure is causing chaos. When

will he and the government do something to reassure my

constituents and those of everybody in this chamber that the government

is actually trying to do the best they can for commuters rather than

leaving them to the fate of the most incompetent organisation in the

entire UK rail industry? The honourable gentleman has given

new meaning to the description delayed journey. Members will be

aware Chris Doak is an extreme acrobatic

-- is an extremely aware... I look forward to seamy improvement we are

all anxious to see. Given that tomorrow two of my towns,

Seaford and New will see their rail service ceased to exist and instead

have bus replacement services, from next week for the stations in my

constituency will see no rail service at all for several days, the

Government response is just not good enough. The Government need to

intervene and get this sorted. The honourable lady has never been

anything less than assiduous in campaigning on the half of Lewis,

Seaford and Newhaven and their rail services. But I would make the point

to heard that the devolution in service to her constituency is

because of an announced threat of strike action, against a something

they've already been doing for many, many months. 30% of our commuter

network is driver controlled operation. Aslef have been operating

this system for many months on the new... But they are now striking on

precisely what they have been doing. That also is disproportionate and

unreasonable. Mr Speaker, commuters in Croydon and elsewhere have

suffered enough and they certainly shouldn't be expected to pay any

more for the services they use for rail chaos. Will the minister now

show that he recognises the extent of the failure and rule out any fair

rises -- any fare rises next year? We have always said we will cap rail

fair in creases on RPI plus zero. But the impact on southern

customers, we announced a compensation package last Friday

that amounted to one month's free travel for annual season ticket

holders. Mr Speaker, our constituents in Sussex are at their

wits end and we're at our wits end, notwithstanding the chaos being

caused by these completely unjustified strikes, last week's

announcement on compensation was a good start but a start and taking

away with the other hand worthy price rises that went with it. When

we have a proper transparent penalty system for GTR commuters when they

are delayed without them having to go through a very bureaucratic

process of claiming it? It might add some urgency to GTR to actually sort

this out. I recognise the honourable gentleman's concern to make sure

that automatic compensation for delays is broadened out as fast as

it possibly can be. We need to ensure that it is a system that

works and works well, and we need to make sure that the positives are --

the passengers were on the trains that they say they were on and were

delayed. We need a technological solution and I'm keen to improve it,

and GTR will be the first we get to try this out on. Chris felt.

Thank you Mr Speaker. Residents in Croydon have been suffering from the

terrible service for many months now. Does the Minister agree this is

partly due to track and infrastructure failings, partly due

to GTR's incompetence and partly due to the intransigence of the RNC. If

the RMT cannot be prevailed upon to call off this needless strike, will

the Minister consider legislating to ban this kind of strike action on

critical public infrastructure? He said he might identify the fact that

this is an investment, not just in the ?20 million we have already put

in but the support, the money will have to go in to ensure that one of

the most overburdened parts of our network is able to properly meet the

needs of those who rely upon it to get to work, to school and all the

other areas that life depends upon in the south-east. Thank you Mr

Speaker. I too thank the Minister for the start in terms of

compensation and as all those who suffer across the network every day,

with this intolerable situation and all those using the bridge across to

Southampton Airport, often travelling to Gatwick Airport from

Swanwick. Will the Minister confirm that he is looking at the broad

ranging harm which is caused by this disproportionate political strike

affecting regional airports as well as local businesses? I always

recognise the importance of Southampton Airport Parkway in the

overall network but it is for South West trains and indeed the southern

network to meet individual colleagues with individual concerns

such as that. I'm more than happy to discuss Southampton Airport's needs

with her further. Thank you. I have the misfortune of having the misery

line runs through my constituency and I welcome the Government's step

for compensation. It's now time for the unions to show similar boldness

and call off the strikes. However, the timetable is not worth the paper

it's written on. What more can the Minister do to get GTR management to

get a grip and stop running a service that doesn't require

compensation from the Government because it is so appalling? I'm

grateful to her, she has been a staunch advocate... We suffer from

an inadequate railway line. What I would say to her is the most

important thing we can do at this stage is for the unions to call off

industrial action and for GTR and Network Rail to focus on what really

matters, ensuring we have a reliable and timely and punctual railway

network. We want to get rid of this horrendous performance exacerbated

by the unions, my residence in Sutton. So that we can get back to

the mere poor performance and tackling those underlying issues

like rail come -- rail stock and more drivers. What about the

passengers that are paying by oyster as pay as you go, what can they

expect in return? My honourable friend is quite right to point out

that particularly in the inner parts of London in those suburban areas,

people are equally reliant on Southern Rail. There will also be

season-ticket reduction commission they have annually or quarterly

tickets and compensation, and that to me so is the function of wherever

they live on the southern network. The Minister refers to a letter I

received from the director rail safety, specifying that this form of

technology is not only safe but has been tested by southern as safe.

Given that the unions continue to use safety for this dispute, would

the Minister consider using legislation stopping unions from

striking on the grounds of safety, where the regulating the industry

has been that as safe? Well, my honourable friend has done the

country a great service in his time on the transport Select Committee,

trying to nail the myth that DTO is in some way and an safe way of

driving trains. The director of rail safety in the office for road and

rail called it abundantly clear and was examined closely in the Select

Committee meeting and he could not have been clearer. It is now for

Aslef and the RMT to pay heed to his words, call off these unreasonable

and disproportionate strikes. The state-owned Network Rail is clearly

not fit for purpose. The private sector train operating companies

have weak and ineffectual management and the rail unions are organising

politically motivated strikes. If this were happening in local

Government, the Government would have sent in its own commissioners

to sort out the organisation. Why doesn't it do so in this case? My

honourable friend I think is quite right to point out the importance of

getting track and train operators to have incentives and work together to

ensure they deliver a better service on the part passengers the Secretary

of State has made -- made no secret of the fact that he views that

working to bring better results on the network and we look forward to

reporting that in due course and improving the service that all

passengers, whatever political party they support, whatever their views

on how the railways should be structured, they want to see a

timely, reliable and punctual rail service but what is in the way of

that is the R.N. To and -- the RMT and Aslef with their

disproportionate and unreasonable industrial action.