My Life With Southern Rail

Can you hear that? It's the collective sigh from everyone when Southern Rail announces a train has been delayed or cancelled. 

To anyone reading outside the south coast or the UK, Southern Rail is a train franchise where everyone, from management to drivers and conductors don't actually give a flying fuck about its commuters and give lame arse excuses about why their trains don't run along the lines of "my dog ate my homework."

Basically being a Southern Rail commuter is like being in a YA dystopian future. With less hot, young American actors.

This franchise has never been good. Every day trains arrived late to their destination and as Brits, we just “keep calm and carry on”. However, these “strikes” have been going on for the last nine months, nine months where I've been quietly pissed off, but shrug my shoulders and laugh because it's Southern Rail.

Now, Tuesday 13th December is where I become fall of pure, utter anger. 

One of my childhood dreams, besides being Batman (still got my fingers crossed), was to meet the cast of a Star Wars film and last night I got one of the best emails ever telling me I was covering the European premiere of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. You can just imagine my pure, kid-like excitement; I had the chance to meet and interview Felicity Jones, Donnie Yen, Ben Mendelson, Mads Mikkelsen, Gareth Edwards and Kathleen Kennedy. 

Today (Tuesday 13th December) "Southern Rail drivers’ Union Aslef have confirmed their drivers will be going on a 48-hour strike." What I hear "Hey Shaun, FUCK YOU!!! We're going to take the rest of the week off. Crying laughing emoji faces."

This latest strike will be Tuesday 13th, Wednesday 14th and Friday 16th December, but the trains are going to be such a mess on Thursday 15th, the drivers have effectively taken the week off.

Now, let's have a look of when the unions have decided to (strike) take days off, I couldn’t find past dates:

Tuesday 13th and Wednesday 14th December 2016.

Friday 16th December 2016.

Monday 19th to Tuesday 20th December 2016 (this was a changed date as they were originally going to take the day off from 22-24 December 2016).

Saturday 31st December to Monday 2nd January 2017.

Monday 9th January to Saturday 14th January 2017.

They’re taking so many days off, you have to wonder if they need to find a new job.

With these dates, I have had to cancel multiple screenings and premieres with the fear of not getting home and even when I am at these events, I get so stressed about if I'll get home on time (that never happens, but let a man dream) it's made me ill. 

At the end of the day, I’m a 23-year-old who want to follow his dream and write and talk about the thing I’m deeply passionate about and have a career in Journalism or media and you’re ruining it for me!!

My issues are only minor compared to the people who have to get this excuse of a train line every day for work, unable see their children and want to read them a bedtime story. Season ticket holders who don't get a seat and have to stand all the way from Worthing or Brighton to London. Or they've just quit the job because they can't keep going through this hell.

I'd hate to imagine if you need to see health specialist and having to let them know you're unable to make your appointment due to these strikes and have to rebook and might not be seen for months. Or if you’re a student paying up to £9,000 a year to attend Universities from Southampton to Brighton to London and you have exams or dissertation. The same can be said for college and school kids.

So I want to ask everyone from the government to Southern Rail and especially the unions. Is all you’re disruption to people’s life, future, health worth it?

Why am I asking this question, you feel nothing. The reason they're taking these days off is not because protecting us and against new plans over "commuters safety" which is basically bollocks. Both Southern Rail and the Unions only care about two things – their pride and money. 

I'd give more details about the issues between the two parties but honestly, life is too short. 

"So Shaun, what would you then?" Firstly, how about Transport minister Chris Grayling, Rail Minister Paul Maynard and Prime Minster Teresa May get off their arses dodging the issue and do something about it!!

I'm going to suggest some opinions:

Have a meeting with London Mayor Sadiq Khan, who's the only person addressing the issue and has a plan to let the TFL take control. I'm not a Labour voter and probably never will be, but at least Khan has a plan and it might work. 

Sack everyone. From the management to drivers and conductors and bring new independent people to run this franchise. 

Put it up for sale and let a Chinese or Japanese or whoever company buy it. Think about it, Britain is leaving the European Union and this sale would help with trade. Plus we'd have trains that are fast, leave and arrive on time and could be affordable. 

These opinions are better than the hell we’re are experiencing right now and it doesn't look likely to end. 

If any filmmaker wanting to make a short film or a first feature, you could make a brilliant action parody based on what's been happening with Southern Rail.