SOUTHERN
Sir Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will review the compensation payable to ticket holders experiencing serious delays on Southern Rail.
Claire Perry, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Transport: I have previously set out that I am considering the case but I cannot make any guarantees at this point. To provide additional compensation above Passenger Charter arrangements to passengers would place a large additional financial burden on this and future major projects which would in turn increase the cost to taxpayers.
We are spending over £1bn rebuilding London Bridge station and upgrading the tracks in the London Bridge area as part of the £6.5bn Thameslink Programme upgrade. When complete in 2018, the Thameslink Programme will bring huge benefits, transforming north-south travel through London and providing direct access to Crossrail at Farringdon. It is important that we all recognise the scale of the task at hand. It is simply not possible to expand and enhance our Victorian era infrastructure - as seen at London Bridge - without some changes in services and some disruption. However, I have been clear that we must keep disruption to a minimum and keep passengers informed.
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