Wednesday 13 January 2010

First for shifting the blame!

Good to see that FuCC takes responsibility for its recent piss-poor Thameslink performance.

These weasel words sent to Nadine Dorries MP:

Dear Nadine

I am pleased to confirm that the result of the ASLEF ballot was that around 70% of our drivers voted in favour of accepting the pay offer.

We intend to operate the full timetable on the Thameslink route from Monday 18 January. There are likely to be some short formations (four carriage trains instead of eight) and a few cancellations until 3 February, by when we plan that any Class 319 trains with faulty traction motors resulting from the recent severe weather will be repaired and back in service.

It is worth adding that, were it not for the late delivery from Bombardier of our 23 new Class 377 Electrostars, of which we still have only 21, 80% of the remedial modifications to the traction motors required following last February's snowfall would by now have been completed. As it was we had far less opportunity to take these trains out of service as they were needed to deliver the timetable effective from March 2009 which required us to provide trains to SouthEastern Trains destinations.

Kind regards’

Not a hint of an apology. Nice.