Over the past few months, I have received an increase in the number of concerns raised by constituents around the performance of South Western Railway (SWR). As a commuter myself, I understand these frustrations. So, alongside a number of other MPs, I have raised concerns with the Secretary of State for Transport, Chris Grayling.
In response, the Transport Secretary has commissioned an independent review of SWR and National Rail (NR) to ensure that all possible steps are being taken to see long-term improvement – on both performance and overall passenger experience. The review will be completed by the end of this summer.
More broadly, the new franchise agreement has provisions to incentivise SWR to improve performance and work in partnership with NR. As a result of this, SWR has committed to investing around £5 million to pilot initiatives aimed at addressing the underlying causes of poor performance.
It is welcome that action is being taken to address SWR’s under-performance issues, and I will continue to pay close attention to the measures taken to improve passenger service.