I am very disappointed with delays to the planned extension of Oyster PAYG to Radlett station.

Govia Thameslink’s franchise agreement included a committed obligation to use all ‘reasonable endeavours’ to introduce Oyster PAYG to Radlett by the end of September 2015.

However, I have been informed by the Department for Transport and Govia Thameslink that, due to complications and the complexity of extending Oyster PAYG to Radlett, this target has not been met. I want to know what reasonable endeavours have been taken and when the complications they refer to will be addressed.

I am aware that for many of my constituents the cost of train travel is a cause for concern. Many Radlett residents were expecting Oyster PAYG to be extended to Radlett station by the end of September and I know that they too will be disappointed by this delay. At a time when many Radlett residents  are having to put up with a service that is consistently unreliable, the delay in extending Oyster PAYG will compound their disatisfaction with the service offered by Govia Thameslink. 

I have written to both Govia Thameslink and the Department for Transport to express my disappointment with the news and have called for them to set out  the time scales involved to extend Oyster PAYG to Radlett station. 

It is vital that DfT officials and representatives from Govia Thameslink get their heads together to determine who precisely is responsible for what, and how to address the complications that Govia Thameslink cite as being the reason for the delay in extending Oyster PAYG to Radlett. Both my constituents and I expect as much, and I will continue to monitor developments closely.