Give MPs your videos and views about Thameslink services
Rail passengers from the St Albans District are urged to video the “horrid experiences” they endure on the Thameslink line for a Parliamentary inquiry.
MPs on the Commons Select Committee on Transport, investigating the new timetable fiasco, want to see filmed evidence of the day-to-day challenges commuters endure.
Now St Albans City and District Council has asked its residents to take part by submitting short videos of the overcrowded carriages and other problems that they face.
The District’s commuters are also being encouraged to send their views on the Thameslink crisis in writing to the Committee.
These can include their opinions on what went wrong and how well Govia Thameslink Railways (GTR), which has the franchise for the line, has reacted to the chaos.
The Committee, made up of backbench MPs from all parties, has asked for video and written submissions to be lodged by Wednesday 5 September.
An all-party meeting of the Council was held on Tuesday 21 August to consider the Council’s own response to the inquiry.
Afterwards, Councillor Salih Gaygusuz, Portfolio Holder for Business and the Community, called on the District’s commuters to take part in the consultation.
He said:
We were promised a once-in-a-generation change that would transform services and instead we were plunged into months of disruption that continues to this day.
This Parliamentary inquiry offers people a chance to tell those in authority about their horrid experiences and send in videos to prove just how bad it has been. They can also give their views on all the core issues ranging from constant cancellations to difficulties with the compensation system.
It is important that MPs looking into this mess hear from people on the ground about the impact it has had on their jobs, careers, family life and mental health. I hope as many commuters from the District as possible have their say.
People can send a 90-second video to the inquiry by Twitter using the hashtag #railtimetabling. Details on how to do so and the video’s specifications are available on: bit.ly/2Lgi3O4. (Link content no longer available due to changeover from former website).
Written submissions can be made to the Committee online at: bit.ly/2MFRuGO (Link content no longer available due to changeover from former website).
The meeting of Councillors from all parties backed a series of recommendations that will be sent to the inquiry.
These included a call for improving peak-time services from Harpenden.
Councillors also agreed that future changes to rail services should be properly consulted on and well communicated to passengers.
They said problems with the compensation system should be addressed by GTR while the system for ensuring rail firms are held accountable should be reviewed.
The Council’s full submission to the inquiry will be published on its website, www.stalbans.gov.uk on Thursday 30 August.
Cllr Gaygusuz said:
Our meeting agreed to a very sensible and practical series of recommendations that I very much hope are taken up the Select Committee inquiry.
Representatives of a number of local groups attended the meeting, including the Harpenden Thameslink Commuters Group, St Albans Passenger Group and the Rail Suffererjettes.
GTR introduced its new timetable on Sunday 20 May, but struggled to implement it with commuters hit by constant delays, cancellations and overcrowding.
An interim timetable, with a reduced service, has since been brought in, but that has also encountered difficulties.
The Government has ordered the independent Office of Rail and Road to also conduct an inquiry into the new timetable and similar problems on northern routes. This is chaired by Professor Stephen Glaister.
Councillor contact:
Councillor Salih Gaygusuz, Portfolio Holder for Business and Community, St Albans City and District Council
Tel: 01727 858289, Email: cllr.s.gaygusuz@stalbans.gov.uk
Media contact:
John McJannet, Principal Communications Officer, St Albans City and District Council
Tel: 01727 296130, E-mail: john.mcjannet@stalbans.gov.uk.