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Overcrowding fear as train firms seek to cut services
Dick Murray, Transport Editor19 Jan 2009
RAIL company bosses are to ask the Government for permission to cut services - leading to more overcrowding and unstaffed stations.
The chief executives of the companies which own most of London's commuter firms want to reduce the number of trains they run to save money, forcing even more passengers to pack into already overcrowded carriages.
Stations could also be left without staff for longer. At a meeting tomorrow the companies - Go-Ahead, Stagecoach, Arriva, First Group and National Express - will tell Transport Secretary Geoff Hoon they want him to agree changes to their franchise contracts which would allow them to cut services.
It comes despite the big five companies making tens of millions of pounds in profits on their London franchises. They will base their demands on passenger numbers not increasing as much as forecast due to the recession.
Each of the companies has recently increased fares by the maximum allowed, an average of six per cent during peak times, with many individual fares having risen by much more than that, adding hundreds of pounds to the price of annual season tickets.
Passenger numbers rose by under five per cent last year, against growth of 7.8 and 6.7 per cent in the two previous years. Gerry Doherty, leader of the TSSA transport union, said: "The companies are circling their wagons to protect their vast profits.
"If they are allowed to cut services it can lead to more cattle truck conditions. The companies are desperate to cut costs to keep their shareholders happy and never mind what happens to the hapless, captive commuters."
Mr Hoon is expected to refuse the demands - but that will mean the operators reducing costs elsewhere, including yet more staff cuts.
A senior industry source said: "The train companies are desperate to reduce the services they run. If they are not allowed to do that it will inevitably lead to job and other cuts."
The Evening Standard revealed last month that stations could be left without staff for longer as jobs go.
South West Trains, which runs local and long-distance services into mainline Waterloo, is planning to axe nearly 500 staff and is cutting the length of 100 trains a day. Some 12 carriage trains will be reduced to eight and eight car trains to four.
The company, owned by Stagecoach which recorded a 25 per cent increase in operating profits to £31.7 million for the six months ending 31 October, was prevented last week by ministers from drastically cutting ticket office opening times at 114 stations. Even so, the company will still reduce opening times at more than 50.
First Capital Connect, owned by First Group which announced operating profits of £48.3 million for the half year ending 30 September, also wants to cut ticket office opening times at many Thameslink stations.
Southeastern, the busiest of the commuter companies serving Kent and south-east London into Charing Cross, Cannon Street and Victoria, plans to axe 300 jobs and has already cut some trains. Southeastern's parent company is Govia, 65 per cent of which is owned by Go Ahead which made an operating profit of £77.2 million for the year ending 28 June.
National Express is cutting 750 jobs across its busiest routes, which includes the East Coast line.
There was a growing row today over the 480 SWT job cuts. The company says these will be confined to management, administration and "other roles". It denies that train drivers, guards or frontline staff will go. But the RMT, largest of the rail unions, insists front line staff will be axed.
Reader views (22)
Health and Safety where are they, if these trains are caught up in an accident, carnage will be the out- come ..... FACT?.
- John.L., Scarborough N.Yks U.K., 01/02/2009 22:01
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It is not really relevant if the train services are run by the state or the private companies.
Unfortunately they are under the control of the Treasury and the Department for Transport who historically are anti railway. The Treasury is cutting subsidies to the railways and the Department for Transport is just disinterested. For years this Department was anti electrification and believed in diesel traction as the way forward. Although many new carriages are promised, the actual procurement of them seems to be proceeding at a snail's pace.
- Mike Constable, London UK, 28/01/2009 10:44
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Yet again the trains were delayed tonight. No reason given which is the norm. The same as yesterday morning and evening and this morning. The UK travel service is A JOKE.
- Jan, London, 27/01/2009 20:47
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Sadly, rail travel is no longer a "service" as it is has been a "business" since privatisation. I think conditions are already apalling and if these companies are allowed to get away with further cutbacks it will be another nail in the coffin of British rail transport. The government should expect emigration levels to skyrocket as people have had enough of putting up with such conditions and paying a fortune for them.
- Andrew, London, 27/01/2009 12:33
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I live in Lewisham and technically my train journey lasts 9 minutes when I am on a a fast train. I have never had a seat either going to London Bridge or coming back to Lewisham. At least two or three times a week, they shorten the train by taking off a number of carriages. This means that sometimes I cannot get on two or even three trains and when I do manage to get on, it is so crowded, I spend the journey with my face press against someone's back. I have a relatively short journey how people will cope on longer journeys, I cannot imagine. We have one of the most expensive transport systems in Europe and now it is beginning to be one of the most ineffcient and uncomfortable systems too!
- Frances Thurgood, London, UK, 23/01/2009 15:59
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The railways are a public service, designed to help people move around, especially those who choose not to drive or don't drive. How can these arrogant companies continue to cut services? They should dig deep into their profits before the railways gradually begin to disappear.
- Mark Wright, Milan, Italy, 23/01/2009 15:32
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As one of the many commuters suffering from the significant reduction in service between Billericay and Stratford provided by National Express I wish to add my support to your campaign. I have to stand every day on both inbound and outbound services in severely cramped conditions. This follows a reduction in carriages from 12 to 8. National Express justify the reduction as being caused by a lengthy carriage refurbishment programme resulting in a lack of rolling stock lasting through to 2010!. This cannot be viewed as acceptable for the many of us who have no choice, but to travel by rail during the rush hour periods. Whilst I will continue my dialogue with National Express I feel my complaints are falling on deaf ears, so we commuters need to stick together and hopefully our combined voices will eventually be heard by the rail companies.
- Sandra Taylor, Billericay, Essex, 22/01/2009 22:18
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I have worked in London for the last 20 years and the trains have never been worse. Almost every day they are delayed and no excuse offered. The trains are getting more crowded and regularly reach cattle truck proportions. I agree we are paying extortionate prices for a substandard service and now they want to make it into a third world service. Gidea Park to Liverpool Street cannot cope now - what on earth will it be like in 2012 when the Olympics are going on. I am going abroad for a month before and after to get away from it.
- Jan, London, 19/01/2009 22:50
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No overcrowding people. We at Labour changed measures. It was 110 people for 100 seats to be overcrowded. Now it is 130 people for 100 seats. So Labour, so easy. Tax, borrow and spend. Nice Brown budget headlines, small print reveals private sector mugs will pay our pensions.
- Jim, watford, 19/01/2009 21:25
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Remember the chaos of Connex who tried (and failed) to run their franchises with the bare minimum of staff? Who paid? The passengers, with a disgraceful service.
Rail privatisation is nothing but a charade to keep borrowing (eg for new rolling stock etc) off the public accounts, and the taxpayer services the debt through subsidies, allowing these companies to make massive profits. Now Government borrowing is out of control and has more than breached Mr Brown's golden rules, there is no longer any need or justification to continue this charade.
New Labour should implement its own policy and bring the railways back under public control; the private sector cannot run loss-making companies without it ultimately costing us more (ie through their need to make profit). The profits that go to all involved - not only the operators, but the rolling stock leasing firms and the like, could then be used for further investment or to reduce the amount of fares passengers have to pay in these lean times.
To bring services back under public control, the Government could just let the franchises run out and not renew them, no compensation necessary. But the question is will the Government listen to the calls of ordinary people to rectify the mess of privatisation and to stop a massive and unnecessary waste of public money? Going by its track record, I know which way I'd bet...
- Paul, London, UK, 19/01/2009 19:27
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To cut train lengths thus causing cattle truck conditions. It is high time the travelling public took a firm stand to the executives of the railway companies and force them to stand down. Employees, ordered to reduce train lengths should ignore such instructions and refuse to reduce the train lengths.
All rail unions should join forces and fight against such malpractices and refuse to carry out such crass orders.
Put people first and give them a decent they deserve. To hell with shareholders and the executives, they are ego driven and they cannot take their wealth into the next world. Time to give management a bloody nose!
- Mr P C Glass, Luton Bedfordshire, 19/01/2009 17:04
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Overcrowding fear??
I'm afraid it's already been going on for YEARS you New Labour MORONS!
Maybe the people that make the decisions should actually get on the tube once and while and see what its like
- Kate, London, 19/01/2009 16:47
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Well it depends exactly what services they are planning to cut - peak hour or otherwise. It seems unlikely they will get consent to cut peak hour service.
- Anne-Marie, London, UK, 19/01/2009 16:23
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Every morning I'm packed in like a sardine from Billericay to Liverpool Street. It's so bad that a small delay of only a few minutes can cause you to have to wait for the next train. By cutting services it will only mean that it would take longer for people to get into London as they won't be able to board straightaway.
Reduced service should mean reduced fare. I'm already incandescent that I have to pay extortionately for what should be a seat; only to stand all the way almost every time I get on.
Couple that with the almost non-existent service these days over weekends due to "engineering works" then you'll begin to realise what a bum deal we get.
National Express (and I am sure all operators) get away with murder. When our trains are delayed by up to 15 minutes, we cannot claim compensation. So they push this to the barrier and if you time it you'll see a lot of the time the train is delayed by 10-14 mins. Even during severe delays we're lucky to get £6 back while a peak ticket can cost over £20.
If there are no services over a weekend, then season ticket holders should automatically be refunded a part of their fares. After all, we do want to travel to London over weekends too. And engineering works should be kept squarely between the hours of 1am and 6am at weekends.
But unfortunately we're either in the minority or all those other mugs out there just haven't got the courage to stand up to them. If we all stood together we'd stand a chance. Yeah, right...
- Jay, Billericay, 19/01/2009 14:05
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How can they possible justify this?? Every day rush hour trains leave london full, with potential passengers left standing on the platforms. At the weekend, the rail network is almost always crippled by engineering work.
Its incredibly difficult to buy a ticket now too, since they decided not to allow you to buy one aboard a train. This would be fine if they were enough ticket machines (there isn't) or manned ticket offices (always a 20 minute queue).
- Joe Public, london, 19/01/2009 12:32
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Here we go. Classic example of why privatisation does not work. It is all about profit margins and shareholders. Mr Brown rather than bailing out the banks soo much. Why not re-nationalise the rail network ?
- Roberto Carballeiro, Basingstoke, 19/01/2009 11:26
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Privatized or Nationalized the only way forward is to encompass the whole thing under one structure, all this nonsense with different companies running piecemeal bits here and there. Problem arises and you have to liaise with another organization. They then hold a meeting and on it goes, pathetic nonsense designed to keep layers of management in pointless employment. Safety is something that engineers get a "feel" for putting this out to tender and expecting new eyes to see what others have been monitoring is the perfect damn nonsense too.
- Alex, Soton, 19/01/2009 10:55
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So how is this penny-pinching going to get people out of their cars?
Sheer greed.
If these companies feel cheated by their current profit levels, they should give the franchise back to the State.
- Alex Mckenna, Manchester, 19/01/2009 10:52
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So rail companies are applying to the government to cut staffing at stations and axe services, however if they are refused permission they will cut staff. So whichever way you slice it, the rail companies will cut staff. Hoon should most definitely refuse their application as the alternative doesn't sound any worse.
I don't understand why they are cutting staff anyway, I have lost count of the number of times I have heard the excuse "this service has been cancelled due to staff shortages", yet they want to cut MORE staff?
- Mcw, London, 19/01/2009 10:23
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Frank, Labour didn't privatise the railways, the Tories did.
- Caroline, London, 19/01/2009 10:16
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More people want to spend money on travel - so the rail companies want to reduce the number of services to save money - shades of the last days of the Roman empire. Capitalism now makes it more difficult to get to work - Karl Mark was trying to tell us something about this. Nationalise the railways, restore the status of passenger to the traveller (not the ridiculous term,customer) and put the passengers before the shareholders.
- Peter Haldane, London, 19/01/2009 09:56
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Millions of profits being made, inflation busting price rises, staff being sacked, massive bonuses being paid and now services being cut!
You've gotta' Labour, those rich socialists have done so much for this country. The biggest national debt ever, but at least their close buddies are making money.
- Frank, Home Counties, England, 19/01/2009 09:35
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