Go-Ahead apologises for London Bridge commuter chaos

Go-Ahead Group has apologised to the capital’s commuters and promised that problems on its routes into London Bridge will ease in the second half of this year.

The company, which runs two of the most-disrupted commuter lines into the capital, saw pre-tax profits climb by 26.1% to £71 million in the first six months of the year.

The operator of Southeastern and Great Northern and Thameslink (GTR) franchises said that its rail businesses had performed solidly despite the challenges, particularly at London Bridge station where a £6.5 billion upgrade is underway.

“We share the frustration of customers who have recently experienced disruption to their journeys because of these improvement works and, together with Network Rail, we are committed to minimising the impact on passengers,” said Go-Ahead’s chief executive, David Brown.

The group’s rail profits increased from £20.3 million to £32.9 million in the first half of the year.

Go-Ahead, which already carries a third of UK rail passengers on its routes, is also bidding to take over the running of London Overground services.

The company’s contribution to the Department for Transport increased by £18.4 million to £126.6 million. It has also renegotiated its GTR franchise with the DFT, as a new timetable — different to the one that Go-Ahead based its bid for the franchise on — has substantially increased costs.

Buses in the capital were the only bleak spot for the transport operator as roadworks and congestion affected its performance. Operating profits for London buses fell by 4.4% to £21.7 million.