Andrew Dismore, who is hoping to become Hendon’s next MP, claimed in a letter to your paper last week that First Capital Connect could not run the Thameslink route (‘Country’s most unpopular line’, Your Views, June 19). The fact that we carry 180,000 passengers every day, to and from the capital across 582km of railway, while managing 73 stations and maintaining the train fleet rather disproves the point.

He is looking forward to speaking to the next franchisee; we would have welcomed the chance to speak to Mr Dismore ourselves, in fact we’ve offered him the opportunity to meet a number of times this year. Our door remains open if he wishes to discuss the remainder of the franchise.

As with all rail operators, we have faced a number of challenges. But since 2006, we have expanded the train fleet by almost 50 per cent to increase capacity, reducing by half the number of services we have to run with only four carriages during rush hour.

We have also implemented the first phase of the Thameslink Programme, which will bring future service improvements to Hendon and Mill Hill. Mill Hill was the first platform to be lengthened for new 12-carriage trains and those trains are now on test ready to enter service in spring 2016.

We have refurbished Mill Hill station and would support any plans for step-free access at the station; indeed we have had recent discussions with the local MP to that effect.

However, we recognise it would be a very expensive project compared to those for other stations, with equal or greater passenger numbers, and that the Government has difficult decisions to make in this regard.

Last year, I said I would address the three issues which customer surveys showed passengers cared about most: punctuality, cleaner trains and service information. We’re seeing better punctuality but we’re still held back by track, signalling and power problems, which Network Rail assures us will improve.

However, trains are cleaner thanks to the new equipment and extra staff we’ve employed and we now have a 24/7 Twitter response, a better website and apps to help. All this has been reflected in rising passenger satisfaction in the latest independent research.

David Statham

Managing director First Capital Connect