Railways in Parliament
by Jon Longman
GTR revenue hit
IN the context of the proposed reduction in rail service frequency and carriage numbers in London, Dulwich and West Norwood MP Helen Hayes asked what estimate the Department for Transport (DfT) has made of the potential impact of that proposal on passenger numbers and revenue.
The new transport minister Kevin Foster replied: “The DfT has issued all operators with a demand forecast model to track returning demand against forecasts to better match train services to demand. Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) introduced its latest timetable change on September 4 and it has used this model to ensure demand is best met given the funding available for services across its network.
“At present, GTR’s operating costs are outstripping revenue. Across the GTR network, demand for services is between 60 to 75% of pre-Covid levels, resulting in a significant deficit in the operators’ cost base of several hundred million pounds each year at the current level of service provision.