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Southern rail services cut from timetable as dispute continues Southern rail services cut from timetable as dispute continues
(35 minutes later)
Hundreds of Southern rail services have been temporarily axed under an amended timetable brought in from midnight in response to months of disruption.Hundreds of Southern rail services have been temporarily axed under an amended timetable brought in from midnight in response to months of disruption.
Parent firm Govia Thameslink (GTR) said the "more reliable" timetable, with 341 fewer daily services, would operate on week days "for the foreseeable future".Parent firm Govia Thameslink (GTR) said the "more reliable" timetable, with 341 fewer daily services, would operate on week days "for the foreseeable future".
Passengers vented their frustration on the firm's Twitter feed as services failed to arrive on Monday morning.Passengers vented their frustration on the firm's Twitter feed as services failed to arrive on Monday morning.
Jason Best tweeted: "No idea how I'm going to get to work". A demonstration will also take place at London's Victoria Station later.
"How long is this time table for? I won't be able to get on a train as it'll be too busy," he added. Alex Prosser-Snelling, one of the organisers of the demonstration, said: "We aren't people who protest normally, but everyone's fed up of the service."
A Southern spokesman said 95% of trains were running on time or within five minutes against the revised timetable and there had been no reports of overcrowding. A Southern spokesman said 92% of trains were running on time against the revised timetable and there had been no reports of overcrowding.
He said one Horsham to London Victoria service and a Thameslink train to Bedford had been cancelled.He said one Horsham to London Victoria service and a Thameslink train to Bedford had been cancelled.
Roger Keyworth, from West Sussex Rail Users Association, said he believed the new timetable would remove uncertainty.Roger Keyworth, from West Sussex Rail Users Association, said he believed the new timetable would remove uncertainty.
"We have had a haphazard arrangement where the train might have run on a Monday or a Wednesday, but not on Tuesday," he said."We have had a haphazard arrangement where the train might have run on a Monday or a Wednesday, but not on Tuesday," he said.
Some timetables, such as Uckfield and East Grinstead to East Croydon and London are unchanged.Some timetables, such as Uckfield and East Grinstead to East Croydon and London are unchanged.
But trains serving towns including Ashford, Hastings, Lewes, Tonbridge and Seaford have been cut.But trains serving towns including Ashford, Hastings, Lewes, Tonbridge and Seaford have been cut.
South West Trains is warning its services in Clapham Junction and the Portsmouth and Southampton areas are likely to be busier as passengers seek alternative routes.South West Trains is warning its services in Clapham Junction and the Portsmouth and Southampton areas are likely to be busier as passengers seek alternative routes.
Analysis by BBC London transport correspondent Tom Edwards
Commuters using Southern have suffered for months, with some reporting job losses, warnings for constant lateness and missed appointments.
This an industrial dispute about changes to the role of the guard.
The company wants to use new trains where the driver operates the doors using CCTV. The RMT union, which fears job losses, says two staff members are much safer than one.
Compounding this are extremely high levels of cancellations which the company says is due to high levels of sickness by guards. Ministers say the sickness amounts to unofficial strike action but the RMT says it's due to stress and that company does not have enough staff.
Now there are calls for Southern to be stripped of its franchise.
Pressure is growing for the Government to act, but so far it has resisted.
There are calls for devolution of the rail network, with perhaps Transport for London taking over. Long-term that might be an option, but short-term it's difficult to see a way out of a real mess.
At Seaford station, where buses are replacing most trains to Lewes, passenger Liz Bur said Southern's performance had affected her family life.
"I've not been able to get back in time to put the children to bed," she said.
And Jason Best tweeted: "How long is this time table for? I won't be able to get on a train as it'll be too busy. No idea how I'm going to get to work."
Frances Olivine said: "It shouldn't be this difficult to make sure people get to where they have to go.
"I had to spend a £30 taxi fare to get to work for a job where I earned £7.20 recently - that pained me, but I had no other option.
"This new timetable means I'm going to be in work an hour early, which isn't what I want to be doing. I'm just going to have to deal with it."
Mick Cash, RMT general secretary, said the new timetable was "a crisis measure designed to rig appalling performance figures".Mick Cash, RMT general secretary, said the new timetable was "a crisis measure designed to rig appalling performance figures".
"The fewer trains you run, the fewer will be delayed and the better your headline performance statistics will look," he said."The fewer trains you run, the fewer will be delayed and the better your headline performance statistics will look," he said.
"The new timetable also means the vast reduction in services, approved by the government, will leave remaining trains dangerously overcrowded and it will be our members at the sharp end left to manage the safety of the passengers.""The new timetable also means the vast reduction in services, approved by the government, will leave remaining trains dangerously overcrowded and it will be our members at the sharp end left to manage the safety of the passengers."
Industrial action by RMT members and high levels of staff sickness have contributed to disruption of Southern services from the south coast into London.Industrial action by RMT members and high levels of staff sickness have contributed to disruption of Southern services from the south coast into London.
The dispute is over the role of conductors and driver-only trains, which unions argue will threaten jobs and passenger safety.The dispute is over the role of conductors and driver-only trains, which unions argue will threaten jobs and passenger safety.
GTR chief operating officer Dyan Crowther said where a service had been removed from the revised timetable an alternative was being offered, which could either be a bus or another operator.GTR chief operating officer Dyan Crowther said where a service had been removed from the revised timetable an alternative was being offered, which could either be a bus or another operator.
"We need to bring this unnecessary dispute to an end," she said."We need to bring this unnecessary dispute to an end," she said.
GTR plans to implement the changes in dispute from the end of August.GTR plans to implement the changes in dispute from the end of August.
"In the meantime, what we want to do is enter into some meaningful discussions with the RMT about how we bring this dispute to an end, how we get our people back to work and how we can collectively start giving a much, much better service for customers on the Southern network," Ms Crowther said."In the meantime, what we want to do is enter into some meaningful discussions with the RMT about how we bring this dispute to an end, how we get our people back to work and how we can collectively start giving a much, much better service for customers on the Southern network," Ms Crowther said.
The union has offered to suspend industrial action for three months if the company pulls back from implementing the changes.The union has offered to suspend industrial action for three months if the company pulls back from implementing the changes.
Several protests by passengers angry at the disruption on the network and the "travel misery" it has caused have been held, with more planned for this week. More than 12,000 people have signed a petition for the franchise to be removed from Southern.
Alex Prosser-Snelling, one of the organisers of a demonstration at London's Victoria Station later, said: "We aren't people who protest normally, but everyone's fed up of the service."
More than 12,000 people have also signed a petition for the franchise to be removed from Southern.
It is the main rail operator for Sussex and east Surrey and also serves parts of Hampshire, Kent, London and Buckinghamshire.It is the main rail operator for Sussex and east Surrey and also serves parts of Hampshire, Kent, London and Buckinghamshire.