This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-38179510
The article has changed 6 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Southern disruption: A month's travel repaid as compensation | Southern disruption: A month's travel repaid as compensation |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Rail passengers hit by long-running disruption on the Southern network are to be repaid the equivalent of a month's travel, the government and rail operator have announced. | Rail passengers hit by long-running disruption on the Southern network are to be repaid the equivalent of a month's travel, the government and rail operator have announced. |
| Payments will be made to eligible customers under a new compensation scheme to go live in January. | Payments will be made to eligible customers under a new compensation scheme to go live in January. |
| The Department for Transport (DfT) said it would be a one-off compensation payment to season ticket holders. | |
| Govia Thameslink (GTR) apologised for "many months of disruption and misery". | |
| Annual season ticket holders will receive a payment equivalent to one month's travel with quarterly, monthly and weekly season ticket holders being able to claim an equivalent payment for the ticket type. | Annual season ticket holders will receive a payment equivalent to one month's travel with quarterly, monthly and weekly season ticket holders being able to claim an equivalent payment for the ticket type. |
| The rail operator said it was also introducing a more generous Delay Repay scheme on Southern and Gatwick Express from 11 December, which would compensate passengers for delays of more than 15 minutes rather than the current 30 minutes. | |
| However, it also said Southern and Gatwick Express fares would rise by an average of 1.8% from 2 January, which it said was in line with other train operators' annual increases. | |
| The RMT union, which has staged a series of strikes on the Southern network in a dispute over guards' roles, branded the fares hike "another kick in the teeth for British passengers". | |
| The DfT said more than 84,000 passengers would be compensated following disruption which it said was caused by Network Rail track failures, engineering works, unacceptably poor performance by the operator and the actions of the RMT. | |
| Rail minister Paul Maynard said: "When things do go wrong it is right that we compensate people who have not had the service that they deserve." | |
| Charles Horton, GTR chief executive, said disruption had followed both industrial action and poor performance. He said: "For that I am truly sorry." | |
| However, union chief Mick Cash said passengers were continuing to pay some of the highest fares in Europe to travel on "rammed-out and unreliable trains". | |
| He said: "Once again the rip-off private train companies are laughing all the way to the bank as they whack up fares and axe staff in all-out dash to maximise their profits." | |
| The Southern network is braced for further disruption throughout December with a several strikes planned by two unions, the RMT and Aslef. |