Southern Rail misery to continue as operator Go Ahead hails current trading amid critical report

With drivers union Aslef preparing an overtime ban, the Department for Transport has published rail boss Chris Gibb's recommendations for improving the struggling network

A Southern train at the station (PA)

Hey Southern Rail commuters! Did you know service and performance levels on the network you use have “stabilised”? Aren’t you pleased?

Yes, Go Ahead Group, the majority owner of Govia, which in turn operates the benighted franchise, actually had the front to say that in its latest trading update.

Unfortunately, it also had to admit that what passes for stability at its franchise is unlikely to last.

“Disappointingly, the Aslef union has called for an overtime ban for Southern train drivers which, if it goes ahead, will result in unnecessary disruption for customers.”

But be comforted: “GTR [Govia Thameslink Rail] remains fully committed to resolving these issues to provide improved services for customers and reduce uncertainty for our stakeholders.”

I presume the company would argue that it has been fully committed to resolving the issues – centring on driver-only trains – right from the start.

Just fully committed to resolving them in its favour.

Before everyone starts growling about union rotters, let’s remember that there are very real concerns among disabled people, and anyone else that might need assistance, about their ability to use Southern’s trains if the company gets its way.

A while back I sought to discuss them with it and got a very frosty response.

Network Rail director Chris Gibb, who reportedly received £1,500 a day for working on an improvement plan, didn't have much to see about the issue when it was published today.

He was, however, rather critical of unions in his Department for Transport commissioned report.

Those unions (the RMT is also involved in the dispute) might very well point out that he is, when all is said and done, a rail industry boss. So while his is an independent report, you do have to consider the perspective he comes at the issue from.

However, it should also be noted that Mr Gibb says he does not believe “any single party have been the cause” of getting the railway in question to a state where it “cannot possibly work to passengers’ satisfaction” and where “all the elements of the system have been under strain”.

Those elements include “unreliable infrastructure, a timetable that is very tight and with overcrowded peak services, some key stations that are overcrowded, depots that are full and for historic reasons are in the wrong place and people that are involved in informal and formal industrial action”.

When it comes to criticism, Mr Gibb also shares it around. Among the issues he raises, and there are many who will see this as the root cause of problems that go beyond those at Southern, is “the rushed privatisation” of the network in the 1990s.

You could very easily use the word “botched” to describe that.

In the meantime the misery of Southern passengers seems all but certain to continue. By contrast, Go Ahead hails its “strong financial position, with good cash generation and a robust balance sheet”. The company has reported decent revenue growth at its other rail operations (South Eastern and London Midland) and its shares were modestly up in morning trading.

Go-Ahead also trumpeted, in a separate announcement, that it has been shortlisted to bid to retain the Southeastern franchise, again via Govia.

Perhaps one way to incentivise the company to improve the situation at Southern might be to link the two? There’s an integrated railway for you!

Such a suggestion would probably be dismissed as “inappropriate” but it might at least concentrate minds, and Southern’s suffering passengers are desperately in need of something that will do that among all concerned parties.