Network Rail takes action at London Bridge

Wednesday 18 Mar 2015

Network Rail takes action at London Bridge

Region & Route:: | Southern

Network Rail, and the train operators serving London Bridge station, are taking action to make London Bridge a better environment for passengers to use over the days, weeks and months ahead as Network Rail continues its vital task of transforming and rebuilding this busy, congested station.

Phil Hufton, Network Rail’s new 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.

“Passengers have been very tolerant about the changes to their usual travel arrangements, but understandably they have lost their patience with the recent poor service experienced for which we are very sorry.

“The measures we are putting in place, in collaboration with our train operators will improve both train service provision as well as station management in order that customers receive a better service at London Bridge and if delays occur, they are given the help they need.”

Action being taken includes:

Forming an integrated ‘one-station-team’ management structure with all staff (whether Network Rail, Southern or Southeastern) working to a single response structure with a single identity so better able to respond to and manage issues as they arise
Increasing the number of staff on the station, particularly at peak times and at times of disruption
Ensuring staff and passengers, have access to the latest travel information and advice by boosting wi-fi capability, providing tablets to staff and bolstering information screens
Better advanced warning for passengers of potential problems at the station offering alternative travel advice enabling people to avoid the station at times of disruption
Changes to the timetable to help a better flow of trains into, and out of, the station
Re-introducing Olympic 2012 style ‘travel champions’ and ‘customer action teams’ who can be called upon to bolster station staffing levels and help people find their way

The railway has seen tremendous growth over the last 20 years with a doubling of passenger numbers. London Bridge and other major stations will experience crowding if services are delayed because of our very well used and congested network. It’s the rail industry’s task to manage these incidents better and ensure that passengers are well informed and looked after as well as deliver a huge investment and improvement programme aimed at growing and expanding the network

Mr Hufton concluded: “I want to assure customers that we do take this situation seriously and Network Rail is committed to improving our performance by delivering improvements to deliver a safe environment for users of London Bridge hand in hand with meeting the level of train provision and customer service they rightly expect.”

Contact information

Passengers / community members
Network Rail national helpline
03457 11 41 41

Latest travel advice
Please visit National Rail Enquiries

Journalists
Network Rail press office - South East route
020 3357 7969
southeastroutecomms@networkrail.co.uk

About Network Rail

We own, operate and develop Britain's railway infrastructure; that's 20,000 miles of track, 30,000 bridges, tunnels and viaducts and the thousands of signals, level crossings and stations. We run 20 of the UK's largest stations while all the others, over 2,500, are run by the country's train operating companies.

Usually, there are almost five million journeys made in the UK and over 600 freight trains run on the network. People depend on Britain's railway for their daily commute, to visit friends and loved ones and to get them home safe every day. Our role is to deliver a safe and reliable railway, so we carefully manage and deliver thousands of projects every year that form part of the multi-billion pound Railway Upgrade Plan, to grow and expand the nation's railway network to respond to the tremendous growth and demand the railway has experienced - a doubling of passenger journeys over the past 20 years.

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