London transport boss Sir Peter Hendy has apologised for describing services on a major London commuter route as "s***".
The Transport for London commissioner has written to Southeastern bosses to explain the comments, which also included a comparison between commuting and the "Wild West".
In a letter to David Brown, chief executive of the Go-Ahead Group, and managing director David Statham, he wrote: "I am quoted in Management Today being offensive about Southeastern trains and its staff.
"My comment is unjustified and excessive and I apologise.
"I know everyone there is doing their best to offer a good service in the context of the franchise you have and the infrastructure you operate on.
"If there is a context, the interview was several weeks ago during the worst of the issues at London Bridge.
"But that's not an excuse. Passion is no excuse for insult. Sorry."
In the magazine interview, Sir Peter was reported as saying: “On Southeastern the trains are like the Wild West.
“They are s***, awful. And every now and then some people like the Gestapo get on and fine everyone they can. It doesn’t improve your day does it?”
He added: “People hate the suburban rail service, they hate it. If you make a mistake on your oyster card on the tube, we’ll refund it.
“On South West Trains, they’ll fine you. That’s a big philosophical difference.”
Following the remarks, Southeastern - which runs services from Kent and Sussex into the capital - defended its frontline staff and called the comments "disappointing".
Additional reporting by PA
