Member Article

Go Ahead to fork out £13m for Southern Rail improvements

Following a troubled 18 months on the blighted Southern Rail franchise the service’s operator, Go-Ahead Group, have announced they have agreed a package of improvement measures with the Department for Transport (DfT).

As part of the arrangement, Go-Ahead have said they will fund a package of performance and passenger improvements worth £13.4m as they look to undo the damage caused by months of strikes, train cancellations and service disruptions.

According to the transport group, the cost of the package was in line with management expectations and so would have not have any real impact on their financials for the year after the group costed in any further potential outgoings in relation to the beleaguered franchise.

Plans for the cash will see a raft of improvement projects and service changes implemented in an effort to improve its services and passenger journeys.

Of the total funding outlined in the package, £7m will be put towards funding DfT projects and improvement works that have the potential to benefit passengers directly, although what these might be is yet to be determined.

A further £4m will go towards funding the appointment of 50 on-board supervisors over the next two years, beginning in January 2018, in an effort to improve passenger access to Southern staff members.

Finally, the remaining £2.4m will be funnelled into various target performance efforts after the franchise had repeatedly failed to meet its contractual targets over the last year or so due to its staffing problems.