First Capital Connect has announced a severely reduced timetable to cope with driver shortages which have crippled its service.
This follows weeks of commuter misery as FCC drivers, angry at a pay freeze, have refused to work overtime, leading to extensive delays and cancellations.
The operator said it was also training 20 new drivers who would be due to start work in spring – and was allowing standard ticket-holders to use First Class carriages while disruption continued.
In a statement on its website, the operator said: “We are extremely sorry that a shortage of train drivers has forced us to cancel a large number of services on the Thameslink route.
“Please continue to check back as services may be subject to further alteration.
It added: “We are in ongoing pay talks with the drivers’ union, ASLEF to try and ease the situation.”
Download the new timetable here.
The changes have understandably gone down badly with commuters. The writer behind the I Hate Thameslink blog tore into their reasons and apologies in this scathing post.
They also urged people affected by delays to claim compensation here.
However, frustrated FCC commuters were given one piece of good news today – their fares will either stay the same or go down from January.
And Southern’s fares are due to go up by just 0.8% – lower than the national average, which the Association of Train Operating Companies (Atoc) hailed as the lowest since privatisation.
An Atoc spokesman said the small rises were down to two factors: “Firstly, around two in five tickets, including season tickets and many off peak fares, are pegged to July’s RPI inflation figure, meaning that they are set to fall by 0.4%.
“Secondly, some of the remaining fares have been frozen or in a number of cases reduced.”
Meanwhile, FCC trying to continue their journey on Southern trains are being warned it could cost them dear.
From Saturday, anyone with a FCC-only ticket caught using a Southern train will be given an on-the-spot £20 fine.
In a statement, Southern explained the new policy: “Holders of ‘FCC Only’ tickets must purchase a valid ticket if they wish to travel on Southern trains.
“However, any ‘FCC Only’ tickets that were issued before Saturday, November 14 will be accepted on Southern services.”
