I've given up on trains entirely - they're always late
Diana Sawyer moved near Royston railway station to travel by train to work but she's been late for weeks
Samar Maguire
A frustrated woman from Cambridge who bought a house next to a railway station to commute to work says she has given up on using trains completely - after being left waiting on them for weeks.
Diana Sawyer moved near Royston railway station from Cambridge to travel by train to work in the city centre - but hasn't been able to arrive on time for work by 7am since Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) introduced its new train timetable in May.
The Cambridge University employee says she won't be renewing her £1,200 annual pass and will travel by car instead.
'It's just crap'
Diana Sawyer has given up on trains entirely
"It's just crap," said Mrs Sawyer. "We bought our house because it was next to a train station on a direct route to Cambridge so we could easily commute to work.
"My husband commutes to London and I go to Cambridge. He's also frustrated by it, but he has alternatives.
"The trains are either too early or they're too late from Royston.
"It's so frustrating. I've given up on trains. I am now driving to work.
"It takes longer but it's reliable."
She added that the pair will not be moving because Diana's husband, David, cannot drive to work.
Thameslink
People can't cope with changed timetable
No more trains
Train commute hell
Price hike
What happened to Thameslink?
Mrs Sawyer moved to Royston with her husband three years ago after wanting to find a more convenient way to get to work.
But services went into meltdown when the new timetables were introduced on May 21 this year with cancellations and delays plaguing the network ever since.
There have been reports of people missing hospital appointments and in another case a concerned mother claimed her son lost his job due to being frequently late.
Over 450 Govia Thameslink Railway trains were either cancelled or ran late.
The timetable shake-up is designed to increase overall frequencies and reliability.
A heartbroken dad from St Neots has told of being unable to see his five-year-old daughter because of the changes.
The man, who chose not to be named, hasn't been able to say goodnight or read a bedtime story to Elizabeth, 5, before she sleeps at 7pm on a week day since Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) introduced a new train timetable in May.
(Image: Warren Gunn)
'I can't even see my daughter'
The IT consultant says he accepted a new contract in Blackfriars, London, because it allowed him to get a Thameslink and Great Northern train straight to St Neots within an hour.
But instead of arriving on time, he comes home late - missing his daughter each day.
He said: "It's outrageous. I'm paying £68 for a train and they're always delayed or cancelled.
"I accepted this contract and was looking forward to it because it had a straight train home, but trains have become worse.
"I wanted to come and read her a bedtime story or say goodnight to her but each time I come home too late.
"I was talking to her over the weekend and she said 'I miss you daddy' - that's not something that she's had to say.
"It's heartbreaking."
'Major failures'
Transport Secretary Chris Grayling
Many of the changes are a result of the £7 billion invested in the Thameslink programme in the south east, including rebuilding London Bridge station, new trains and track improvements.
GTR's new timetable was developed from scratch and was designed to tackle existing issues by extending stop times at busier stations and increasing turnaround times at destination stations.
Around 230 daily services were removed from GTR's routes to make for a more consistent timetable.
But people have been left with huge delays each day.
Transport Secretary Chris Grayling announced compensation for commuters and an inquiry into what went wrong.
He said there had been "major failures."
A Govia Thameslink spokesman told Cambridgeshire Live: "We are very sorry for the continued disruption.
"We are re-planning how we use trains and train crew to deliver a new fixed, interim timetable in July that will prioritise peak trains and reduce service gaps, progressively delivering improvement.
"We urge anyone delayed by 15 minutes or more to apply for compensation. This can be claimed against the original timetable and there is enhanced compensation for season ticket holders."