To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent steps he has taken to help mitigate delays on (a) Thameslink, (b) Northern and (c) other commuter trains into London.

Performance on Thameslink and Great Northern services was very poor following the timetable change on 20 May. The large number of delays, cancellations and long gaps in service was unsatisfactory and left passengers understandably frustrated.

A new timetable was introduced on these routes on 15 July, has brought increased stability to the service and reduced the number of cancellations across much of the network. Further improvement is, however, still needed, in particular on Great Northern services. Ministers and Departmental officials continue to monitor performance.