10:01am Tuesday 26th January 2010
By Matt Watts
Managers from beleaguered rail company First Capital Connect are to host a question and answers session with commuters next Tuesday.
FCC managing director Neal Lawson, as well as other directors and managers, will be at Tulse Hill station between 7.30am and 9.30am to talk to customers about the recent service issues and what the company is doing to ensure improvements are made.
Last week the train operator was warned by Transport Secretary Lord Adonis to get back on track or risk losing its franchise.
He told FCC the problems experienced by passengers on Thameslink were unacceptable and improvements are expected if the rail operator wants to continue running the franchise.
FCC has come under criticism in recent months after a string of problems left passengers using the Thameslink with a sub-standard service.
First a pay dispute with its drivers, then problems with snow, left virtually no trains running.
Lib Dem parliamentary candidate for Streatham, Chris Nicholson, and Labour candidate Chuka Umunna warned the Department for Transport about the situation.
Mr Umunna and Tessa Jowell MP aslo met with FCC bosses.
A FCC spokesman said union members had accepted a revised pay offer and an improved compensation package was being drawn up for passengers affected by the loss of service that would be issued to customers in coming weeks.
The FCC franchise is set to be reviewed in 2012.
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