Press release - 18 July 2017 10:06

GTR's plans to support Brighton and Hove Pride

Govia Thameslink Railway will be running longer Thameslink trains to and from Brighton during next month's renowned Pride celebrations, but the event will still be affected by the ASLEF drivers’ strike on Southern.

Brighton and Hove Pride runs from Friday 4 to Sunday 6 August. ASLEF drivers are striking on 1, 2 and 4 August and there is an overtime ban in place on other days.

There are plans to run more trains and additional carriages on Southern and Gatwick Express on Saturday, as well as the new, longer 12-carriage Thameslink trains.

Southern’s Passenger Services Director Angie Doll said: “ASLEF has called three days of strikes in a deliberate move to cause maximum disruption for passengers. We’re deeply disappointed that it has chosen the week of Brighton and Hove Pride. We have been working very closely with the organisers to ensure that this year's event is a resounding success despite the industrial action.

“We will make it our priority to run as many services to Brighton as we can.

“For ASLEF to be striking in protest against an offer to increase pay by 24% is simply mind-boggling. The vast majority of our passengers could only dream of such a generous pay award, so will understandably be as shocked and frustrated as we are.

"We absolutely need to modernise in order to increase capacity here on the most congested part of the UK's network, where passenger numbers have doubled in as little as 12 years. That requires modernisation of infrastructure, trains and working practices. The trade unions must join us in that endeavour."

Services are expected to be extremely busy during the event and queuing systems will be in place, so everyone should allow extra time to travel, especially at peak times on Saturday and Sunday. As always, Southern advise visitors to check before they travel in case there are any short-notice alterations owing to disruption.

Paul Kemp of Brighton and Hove Pride said: “It's a real concern that ASLEF and RMT are taking this action when people from all over the UK and the world are planning to visit Brighton and Hove for Pride, and to join our campaign to Stand Up To Hate Crime.

“Pride works throughout the year on planning with all public service agencies to deliver a safe event and I wrote to all parties involved in this dispute in May 2017 appealing for support over the Pride weekend. I’m appealing again for the unions to support their LGBT and minority allies and not to take this industrial action on the eve of Pride on Friday August 4th.

“The Pride weekend is a critical time for Pride’s community fundraising for local LGBT and HIV groups and charities, many of whom are struggling to continue providing their services following cuts to public funding. In the current climate of uncertainty it’s so important that we all come together to celebrate the great diversity of our City and stand up to all hate crime.”

ENDS

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For more information email press.office@gtrailway.com or call

Southern and Gatwick Express press office: 0203 750 2030

Thameslink and Great Northern press office: 0203 750 2031

Govia Thameslink Railway

Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) operates Thameslink, Great Northern, Southern and Gatwick Express services as follows:

Thameslink – services between Bedford and Brighton, Luton/St Albans and Sutton, Wimbledon and Sevenoaks

Great Northern – services between London and Welwyn, Hertford, Peterborough, Cambridge and King’s Lynn

Southern – services between London and the Sussex coast (Brighton, Worthing, Eastbourne, Bognor Regis, Hastings) and parts of Surrey, Kent and Hampshire (Ashford International, Southampton, Portsmouth)

Gatwick Express – fast, non-stop direct services between Gatwick Airport and London Victoria

GTR is the largest rail franchise in the UK in terms of passenger numbers, trains, revenue and staff: GTR carries about 326 million passenger journeys per year, and employs around 6,500 people. Its aim is to improve services across all four networks.

Ticket revenue is passed to the government which pays GTR a fee to operate the franchise which is adjusted according to how well the train service is performing.

Southern has the highest passenger growth in the UK with numbers into London having doubled in 12 years - compared with the industry doubling over the past 20 years. To meet this growth and to future-proof the network, GTR is modernising the rail service for passengers.

GTR has introduced more new trains in the past year than all other franchises put together, with 500 new carriages so far.

GTR is modernising how it works, with new technology in use at our stations and on our trains, smartcard ticketing and a new, flexible on-board role on many Southern services. This ensures fewer cancellations, and with more staff on board our trains now than ever before, passengers are enjoying a much better level of on-board customer service.