Fast to Brighton - Southern strike curtails GWR service

[whole diary]

[grahame]

I'm noting that during this week's strikes on Southern, GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) trains are running none-stop from Havant to Brighton and vice versa. I'm sure those trains have a regular clientele, and it really feels like a "cop-out" and lateral damage to the regular users of this train to deny them their service when the competing operator's staff are striking.

It would appear that the Group Station Manager, West Coast Area of Southern has taken the decision to lock passengers out of all stations (including those where the GWR services make stops)



and considers the "FGW^▸ (First Great Western)" - I suspect he means "GWR" - services to be ... well, I'll let him tell you:



Quoting his letter to his West Coast Management team which has been published on Facebook

With an instruction to lock stations shut, dated as recent as 12th December, I guess GWR had little practical option but to go along with the demand to run nonstop though his kingdom.  Thank goodness the train was allowed to stop at Brighton and didn't have to run straight through ;-).

[grahame]

16/12/16 07:01 Portsmouth Harbour to Brighton due 08:19 will no longer call at Chichester, Barnham, Worthing, Shoreham-By-Sea and Hove.
This is due to industrial action.
Further Information
Due to Southern strike action, these services have been amended as detailed.
Chichester, Barnham, Worthing, Shoreham-By-Sea and Hove station will all be closed to the public for the duration of the strike action.
Passengers are requested to check their journeys prior to travel.

Part of a series ...
07:01 Portsmouth Harbour to Brighton due 08:19
08:59 Brighton to Great Malvern due 14:35
10:50 Great Malvern to Brighton due 16:14
17:02 Brighton to Bristol Temple Meads due 20:28