Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the actual percentage level of cancellations was compared to the default percentage threshold cancellation level for the Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) franchise, as amended by the GTR remedial plan, for each monthly period since the beginning of 2016.

The performance benchmarks are calculated as a percentage on a moving annual average basis. This is to ensure that an operator’s performance is measured over the long term and not impacted by short term issues. Therefore a comparison of the number of cancellations for each period against a percentage-based annual benchmark is misleading.

We have attached the latest position against the Remedial Plan benchmarks in the table below. Cancellations are in excess of default levels. GTR has submitted a force majeure claim for official and unofficial industrial action undertaken by drivers and conductors on Southern services. The outcome of our assessment of their force majeure claim will determine GTR's performance level.