First Capital Connect offer five days free travel as disruption compensation (From Times Series)

First Capital Connect offer five days free travel as disruption compensation

5:10pm Monday 28th December 2009

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By Alex Hayes »

THOUSANDS of rail commuters whose journeys have been blighted by industrial action on the Thameslink line for the last six weeks are to be offered five days free travel as compensation.

Operator First Capital Connect (FCC) has been operating a reduced service through Radlett and Elstree and Borehamwood stations after drivers elected not to work voluntary overtime in a dispute over pay.

The walk out has seen only a skeleton service operating on weekdays and at weekends, as the operator relies on drivers to volunteer for overtime to run a full timetable.

However, the operator is now confident full services will be operating from January 18, as members of the ASLEF union are being balloted about an improved pay offer on January 13.

Union bosses have advised drivers to accept the deal, which will see a series of stepped increases throughout 2010.

Now the company is set to offer season and monthly ticket holders five free return tickets to anywhere on their network in an attempt to make amends.

Gavin Beazant, a spokesman for FCC, said: “We will be offering passengers these tickets from mid-January. It means they can use them for a week's free travel or to take four friends out.

“We will be operating a reduced timetable this week and next week but we hope we will be able to get services back to normal as soon as possible.”

Hertsmere MP James Clappison met with Mary Grant, managing director of First Capital Connect, last week after several complaints about the problem.

Hertsmere Borough Council leader, Councillor Morris Bright, said: "A very high percentage of people use the train service from our area. This has been a very hard year financially made worse by the terrible weather at the end of this year.

"What is required is an efficient service that commuters can take to work without any worry. The offer of five day tickets is a small gesture to commuters.

"Whether or not people will use it is up to them but First Capital Connect have to make sure the trains bring as little inconvenience as possible especially as people who don't want to be late for work continue to hold on to their jobs in the New Year."

Councillor Stuart Pile, Hertfordshire Councty Council's executive member for transport, said the council is in regular contact with the train service.

He said: "It is a very difficult situation for the train service, especially with the recent bad weather.

"The rail industry is a bit archaic and the drivers should be open to working more than their four day week.

"The decisions FCC make on whether they can afford to pay the drivers overtime must be difficult. The train service needs a radical reform but hopefully this situation will be resolved and trains will go back to normal.

"We receive regular updates from FCC and will be writing again to them soon."

Commuter Paul Fitzjohn, 34, works in IT and travels from Borehamwood to West Hampstead every weekday morning.

He said: "The problem with the train timetable has been they are not evenly spread out.

"It has been a real pain because if you hit the right time then it's fine but if you're a couple of minutes late then there is often a very long wait for the next one.

"Also, the service is not very good during the off-peak hours and the amount of late night trains are quite poor. I've also often seen the departure boards don't agree with the timetable.

"I am a season ticket holder so as for the compensation it doesn't really help me at all. I could give the tickets away to my friends and family but it won't help me."

Rail passengers will also be able to use pay as you go Oyster cards at Elstree and Borehamwood station from January 2, which will see the cost of travel reduced further.

A ticket from Elstree & Borehamwood Train Station to Zone 1 that costs £5 with a cash ticket will cost £4.90 at peak times and £3.20 at off-peak under the new system.

Are you a Thameslink passenger? What do you think of the compensation offer? Leave your comments below or email Suruchi Sharma on ssharma@london.newsquest.co.uk