Owing to the poor performance of London Midland train service, the Department of Transport has forced them to give away free travel passes and half a million cheap tickets to the affected train travellers. Cancellation and delays because of train driver shortage caused passengers unexpected hardships. It happened in recent months and currently the problem has been resolved by implementing new shift patterns for drivers and training new drivers. The train firm had earlier cancelled or delayed train services due to the driver shortage. Norman Baker who is Transport Minister warned the company as they were being monitored now. The Department secured a £7 million package for the train service firm’s poor performance to pass benefits to passengers affected and in financial relief too.
All weekly, monthly and annual season ticket holders affected, will be offered free 5-day passes. Five hundred thousand extra cheap tickets will be issued for travel on key routes along with the London to Birmingham route. The commercial director of London Midlands, Richard Brooke, apologised for the recent disruption and promised to return to the previous high levels . He added that the driver shortage has been sorted out and the deportment is kept up-to-date on operational performance levels. They were closely working together to deliver a customer beneficial focused plan. The rail firm will have to spend £2 million to improve reliability of train services and mainly on the worst affected West Midlands.
