Double
Blow for hard pressed Chiswick Commuters
using South West Trains as RMT votes
for another strike
Beleaguered
commuters
using the
South West
Trains service
from Chiswick
Station
have suffered
a double
blow with
news of
a New Year
Strike and
the publication
of figures
that show
the network
to be the
worst performing
in the South
East. There
will be
two 48-hour
"back to
back" stoppages
- on January
3 and 4
and again
on January
7 and 8.
This straddles
the weekend.
Originally
the RMT
intended
to ballot
for strikes
on Christmas
Eve.
A South
West Train
at Chiswick
station.
The
strike is on the issue
of parity of pay rises
between drivers and other
staff. The drivers have
awarded 7.6% and the RMT
is insisting on this for
other grades of staff.
South West Trains have
offered 3.8% and binding
arbitration if this is
not acceptable. They awarded
a larger rise to the drivers,
who are mainly members
of ASLEF, to stop them
being poached by other
rail companies. Most guards
and station staff are members
of the RMT. SWT is one
of the only networks to
have continued to use guards
on their trains. Further
industrial action is anticipated
against the disciplining
of two union representatives
for safety breaches.
An SWT spokesperson said,
"They have chosen
once again to go down the
route of maximum disruption.
4% without strings is an
inflation busting pay deal
- the RMT has settled for
far less elsewhere. They
claim they want the same
deal as the drivers - in
that case they must do
what the drivers did and
talk to us about productivity."
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The
latest figures from the Strategic
Rail Authority also bring bad
news for hard pressed commuters.
The figures show SWT to be the
worst London network in terms
of arriving on time with only
71.6% making it within 5 minutes
of the time-table. In addition
it is the second worst for overcrowding
according to the SRA annual
report exceeded only by Chiswick's
other service provider Silverlink.
One
regular user of Chiswick
station said, " I'm
sure the figures mask a
much worse performance
for the suburban lines
like the Hounslow Loop.
The fast trains always
seem to get priority and
in my experience it is
far more than one in four
trains that is seriously
late."
The
figures are likely to provoke
a bitter response from
many Chiswick residents
following recent comments
from Hounslow Council that
they pay higher CPZ charges
because of "generally
better" transport
links.
The
award of the new franchise
does commit South West
Trains to increase the
regularity of the service
through Chiswick before
2004. South West Trains
also have the biggest commitment
to order new stock of any
of the train operating
companies.
Passenger
Rail Performance: July
- October 2001
Percentage
of trains arriving on time
Overall
Average
22
July
22
July
19
Aug
16
Sept
-
-
-
-
13
Oct
18
Aug
15
Sept
13
Oct
London
and South East All Day
Chiltern
Railways
90.6
89.8
92.2
89.9
Great
Eastern Railway
85.6
83.5
87.8
85.4
Silverlink
83.0
83.2
81.4
84.4
Connex
South Eastern
81.8
83.0
83.5
78.8
c2c
79.7
79.1
81.3
78.8
Thames
Trains
78.8
79.1
78.8
78.5
Connex
South Central
78.4
78.1
82.7
74.5
WAGN
77.9
77.2
79.6
76.9
Thameslink
72.6
72.5
78.3
66.9
South
West Trains
71.6
73.9
73.3
67.6
London
and South East Peak
Chiltern
Railways
89.6
90.8
90.1
88.1
Connex
South Eastern
81.5
86.1
83.7
75.0
Great
Eastern Railway
80.3
78.7
83.4
78.8
c2c
78.3
81.2
81.3
71.0
Silverlink
78.3
81.9
70.0
83.4
Connex
South Central
76.8
79.1
81.9
69.6
Thames
Trains
76.6
77.0
76.6
76.2
South
West Trains
72.4
78.4
73.4
65.4
Thameslink
71.2
73.8
79.6
60.5
WAGN
68.8
67.4
70.5
68.5
Note
London
& South East and Other
Operators show % arriving
within 5 minutes of timetabled
time.
