Six councils have written to MPs about the "appalling" passenger service offered by rail company Govia.

Hertfordshire County, Bedford Borough, East Herts District, Luton Borough, North Herts District, and Welwyn and Hatfield Borough councils are calling on the government to ensure that the rail company provides "a timetable that people can rely on".

The company has operated Thameslink and Great Northern services for the past two years.

"We have urged Govia to improve their services for the benefit of the travelling public to little effect and now we want to see government take the side of the hard-pressed traveller and get our rail services back on track," said Derrick Ashley, cabinet member for transport at Herts County Council.

Govia recently put in place an emergency timetable after months of cancellations due to staff shortages and strike action.

Speaking on behalf of GTR, Roger Perkins said: “We apologise sincerely for the cancellations and service disruption.

"We have been up front about driver vacancies on Great Northern and Thameslink since the start of our franchise and have been working as fast as possible to fill them.

"However, it takes over a year to recruit and train each one and we need more and more as we bring in new services and new trains – all of which requires drivers to be taken off duty for additional training.

“Services have also been hit by a spate of signalling and power issues which are outside our control as well as the tragedy of two people hit by trains at Potters Bar in a week and increasing amounts of trespass on the railway lines, all of which have caused serious delays to our passengers.”

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