Rail company fined £5m for failures during chaotic timetable launch

Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) has been fined £5 million by the rail regulator over its poor communication with passengers during the chaotic introduction of a new timetable.

The Office of Rail and Road (ORR) said GTR “failed to provide appropriate, accurate and timely information” amid severe disruption on its Thameslink and Great Northern routes following the launch of the May 2018 timetable.

Some trains were permanently removed from the timetable but this was not made clear to passengers for several weeks, according to the ORR.

Other trains were removed or cancelled on a daily basis, leading to a “severe lack of certainty for passengers up until the point of travel”, the ORR said.

The investigation also found that inadequate internal communication within GTR often left station staff with “little or no information” to help passengers.