Southern Rail could face government takeover, claims magazine

Southern Rail’s services have faced disruption for almost two years.

The Department of Transport are considering a “managed exit” to take direct control of GTR until a new contract can be let, according to Rail Business Intellignece magazine.

The suggestion comes as part of a range of options for handling the franchise, which include splitting off Southern from Govia Thameslink Railway, the group which currently owns it.

The Southern Franchise has been disrupted for almost two years, and has more recently fallen victim to industrial action from RMT and ASLEF unions, in the longest running train strike since the rail network was privatised.

GTR has claimed that its failiure to provide services was down to industrial action, but the department of transport is still considering whether the group was in breach of it’s franchise commitments.

The train drivers union ASLEF this week cancelled strikes to allow talks with the franchise to take place. The RMT union however, which represents conductors, continued to withdraw their labour after they said they were banned from negotiations.

Although Southern has claimed that a full service has resumed despite RMT strikes, trains have still been cancelled, leading the franchise to blame staff sickness and rostering errors.

“These [cancellations] have arisen from one case of sickness and a train crew rostering error” a Southern spokesman said.