No one will have wanted to receive another Rail Update. I am sorry that it is necessary.
Earlier this year with industrial action suspended and responsible, collaborative talks ongoing between the leadership of the drivers' union, ASLEF and GTR it looked like we could be heading to a sensible resolution. Twice ASLEF and GTR came to agreements, twice these were rejected, albeit narrowly, by ASLEF members.
While ASLEF continued to work normally through these talks the service provided to passengers significantly improved. Albeit from an exceptionally low base Southern saw a 23 percentage point improvement in performance and in my experience (and, judging by my inbox, that of most passengers) services were markedly more reliable.
Unfortunately as you know last Thursday ASLEF recommenced its overtime ban (the standard drivers' working week is 4 days) and is intent on further industrial action over a pay.
ASLEF has accepted a 24 per cent pay rise, based on productivity improvements, over 4 years for its drivers on the Thameslink line. This is worth £70,000 for a five day week. It has rejected the same offer on the Horsham lines.
Although it has less immediate impact on passengers the RMT continue to be in dispute and this clearly influences ASLEF members. Yesterday with other MPs, on a cross-party basis, I met Mick Cash, RMT General Secretary, prior to a Parliamentary debate on Southern Rail. They are against not only the most recent extension of Driver Controlled Doors but also in principle opposed to it where it has been in operation for over 30 years.
100 extra on board supervisors have been appointed by GTR and, from figures provide by the RMT 97.25 per cent of trains which used to have a "second person" have continued to operate with one - a proportion GTR expects to increase. I want 100 per cent of these trains to have a "second person" on board, so does GTR, so do the RMT. But if, in exceptional circumstances, the OBS can't get there I want the train to run. It is safe for it to do so and cancellation causes not only immediate problems for passengers but a significant knock-on impact. The RMT demand cancellation. That appears to be the crux of their dispute.
What can be done?
325 new drivers have been recruited. Under the training protocols put in place many years previously most training has to be done "in cab" and takes a required 18 months on local lines. This is underway. As the new drivers finish their training this will reduce the dependence on drivers voluntarily working a 5th day a week as overtime. It will increase resilience on the line.
We will not however see the benefit of this until training is complete.
In the immediate term GTR had hoped to run this week a full timetable from our local stations notwithstanding the overtime ban. As you will be aware this is not a timetable they have been able to achieve and there have been service cancellations. While encouraging GTR to do all they can to maintain the maximum service provision I have also urged them to consider declassifying trains. Where services have been cancelled GTR needs to do its utmost to mitigate the effects of overcrowding.
Debate on the Gibb Report
The Gibb Report was commissioned by the Government to investigate how we could improve resilience on Southern's services. After being held back under election rules it was released immediately post election and Parliament debated its contents yesterday.
The full debate can be viewed at http://parliamentlive.tv/event/index/68a280f0-821d-4f75-a329-bb5954d9d13a?in=16:08:31&out=19:01:24 my contribution was made at 17:33:36. By way of explanation after an earlier exchange I did invite the Labour Transport spokesman to "intervene" on me to say whether he felt it was reasonable to strike over the offered 24 per cent pay settlement but he preferred not to do so.
Unsurprisingly the Gibb Report into Southern Rail concluded that industrial action was the primary cause of the nightmare passengers were out through last year.
However there was more to the report than that. The lines needed a minimum £300m cash investment - which the Government immediately committed. He recommended better means of management co-ordination - which has been implemented. GTR it is clear needs more drivers - they are, as set out above, in training.