As you know West Sussex MPs are working closely together on the issue and last week Henry Smith secured an "adjournment" debate specifically on Govia Thameslink Railway. It was well attended by West Sussex MPs. I intervened on the new Rail Minister, Paul Maynard, to remind him of David Cameron's pledge on compensation in response to my question at PMQs and his predecessor's commitment on Delay Repay in the debate I had called back in the Spring. I asked for a rapid announcement on compensation plans. A copy of the Hansard of this debate can be viewed here: https://hansard.parliament.uk/commons/2016-09-12/debates/1609131000002/GoviaThameslinkRailService . A video clip is available at http://parliamentlive.tv/event/index/3d664090-5337-4174-a0f5-a55c12048770?in=22:09:06&out=22:37:20 . My intervention is at 10.34pm - in response to which the Minister volunteered that David Cameron had been "quite categoric" in his response to me and he hoped we will hear on compensation "soon".
I pressed him again on the issue at a meeting of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Southern Rail which the Minister attended last Wednesday. We also heard more about the details of the new appointment of Chris Gibb. This appointment and the new board will, I believe, strengthen the accountability of both the operator and Network Rail (which is responsible for some 57 per cent of delays). No one denies the complexity of Southern Rail or the woeful levels of historic investment. However clarity on who exactly is responsible for all delays and why is the critical starting point for getting the proper resolution which the new board is tasked to deliver. I am sorry that action is still required to get that clarity in all cases but I am glad steps are being taken to secure it.
I also met last week with GTR who are launching a consultation on their plans to introduce a new timetable from 2018. With London Bridge resolved and Thameslink through-trains running, services from Horsham should improve. However we all need to go through this consultation in detail before it closes on Thursday 8th December; full details can be viewed at: www.southernrailway.com/your-journey/timetable-consultation. (I have been informed that members of the 2018 Timetable Planning team will attend a series of 'Meet the Manager' events at stations during the consultation period and I will keep you updated when these are due to be held). As part of the process I have asked Southern to ensure that there isn't a reduction in service levels at other stations (such as Faygate and Littlehaven) which will be increasingly important as the local population continues to expand, I have stressed that post London Bridge becoming fully operational there must still be regular services to Victoria (for example from Balcombe) and that efforts should be made to reduce the delay incurred at Horsham by commuters from stations further down the line including Christs Hospital and Billingshurst.