Hove MP complains about problems affecting commuters
Hove MP Mike Weatherley has complained to train operator Southern about what he said was “the regular chaos that ensues during delays at Victoria Station”.
The Conservative MP has written to Southern chief executive Chris Burchell about the problem.
Mr Weatherley said that he had become increasingly dismayed by the way in which delays were handled at Victoria.
He said that the problem affected thousands of his constituents who commute to London from Hove and Portslade.
It was particularly bad by platforms 15 to 19, he said, where that part of the station that had become known as “Sparrow’s Corner”.
It was where most of the trains that depart for Hove and Portslade set off from.
Mr Weatherley said that some of the screens were too small and did not display useful information.
He also said that the PA system was not fit for purpose, either sounding muffled or completely inaudible in large parts of the station.
Mr Weatherley said: “I know just how frustrating it is when there is some kind of delay but no information available.
“Hundreds of passengers are forced to crowd around in a tiny area not knowing what on earth is going on.
“I have suggested a number of sensible solutions to Southern that would go a long way to alleviating the chaos that ensues during delays.”
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Of interest to rail users is the consultation on the proposed merger of the Southern and FCC franchises on the London route.
http://www.dft.gov.uk/consultations/dft-2012-23/
Operationally this merger makes some sense, especially given the further disruption that will be involved in the Thameslink works (no Thameslink trains will call at London Bridge for three years after the end of 2014!)
The problem lies in the removal of any kind of price competition from the London-Brighton route. Having two operators has kept fares down, relative to other comparable routes: a London-Oxford annual season ticket, for example, comes it at around £5000.
The danger is that many commuters could be priced out of the market; taking a job in London could no longer be economic if fares shoot up as a result of a monopoly being created.
This is a very real concern, and I would urge anyone who shares it to respond to the consultation.