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London Bridge rail chaos 'tackled with immediate changes' London Bridge rail chaos 'tackled with immediate changes'
(about 11 hours later)
More staff, an improved timetable and better delay warnings for passengers, have been promised by Network Rail to tackle London Bridge station chaos. More staff, an improved timetable and better delay warnings for passengers have been promised by Network Rail to tackle London Bridge station chaos.
Rail minister Claire Perry said changes would take place immediately, following talks with MPs.Rail minister Claire Perry said changes would take place immediately, following talks with MPs.
Disruption has followed rebuilding work involving the £6.5bn Thameslink Programme. But the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) called the plans "PR stunts and sticking plaster solutions".
The Rail, Maritime and Transport union has said delays and overcrowding have led to "life-threatening chaos". Disruption to trains and overcrowding have been ongoing since the £6.5bn Thameslink rebuilding programme began.
'Still being ignored'
Ms Perry said it was right to invest in Thameslink but the disruption for passengers was "too great".Ms Perry said it was right to invest in Thameslink but the disruption for passengers was "too great".
She said carrying out work on one of the UK's busiest stations was like doing "open heart surgery on a marathon runner". She said: "What you have to do in that process is make sure people who are using that station every day to get to work, to get home... actually have a reliable service."
"[But] what you have to do in that process is make sure people who are using that station every day to get to work, to get home, who want to be home to relieve the nanny or to see their kids, actually have a reliable service," Ms Perry said. She said compensation for passengers was also being looked at.
'Unacceptable service' But RMT General Secretary Mick Cash said it was just a PR stunt and from the beginning his representatives had identified poorly-installed track and signalling layout.
She said former London Underground chief operating officer Phil Hufton was made gold commander for the station, a new station plan had been formed, and Southern rail operator had a new timetable to give people predictability and reliability. He said: "The catalogue of faults identified by our reps is breath-taking and... shows that the continuing chaos and overcrowding at London Bridge was entirely predictable.
Ms Perry said compensation for passengers was being looked at. "Even though RMT blew the whistle on this right from the off at no point since the pictures of the dangerous situation emerged have our reps and our members been asked for their views."
Mr Hufton, who is now Network Rail's managing director of network operations, said: "In the last few weeks passengers have experienced unacceptable levels of service and over-crowding at London Bridge station." Offering an apology, Mr Hufton, Network Rail's managing director of network operations, said passengers had been tolerant but understandably had lost their patience with the "poor service".
He said passengers had been tolerant but had understandably lost their patience and measures being put in place would improve services and station management. He said: "The measures we are putting in place, in collaboration with our train operators, will improve both train service provision as well as station management."
MPs who met Ms Perry and Transport Secretary Patrick Mcloughlin on Wednesday had said dangerous overcrowding had caused a knock-on effect on the transport system and it was only a matter of time before someone was seriously injured. MPs who met Ms Perry and Transport Secretary Patrick Mcloughlin on Wednesday discussed the dangerous overcrowding and said it was only a matter of time before someone was seriously injured.