Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) has been slammed by a watchdog group for failing to give passengers “the service they were promised” despite the large amount of money demanded in fares.

In a statement London TravelWatch, an independent body representing passengers, said it was extremely concerned about ongoing problems and the impact upon commuters.

It said: “Passengers have stoically accepted the inevitable service delays associated with the rebuilding of London Bridge station, but on top of this performance and service levels have dropped significantly despite heavy publicity about the benefits of the new franchise.”

Chairman Stephen Locke added: “We have asked GTR, the Department for Transport and Network Rail to agree a compensation package for all those affected by widescale service disruptions.

“A significant gesture is necessary it they are to have any chance of recovering the trust and confidence of increasingly cynical commuters who, being effectively a captive market, have no choice but to put up with the situation.”

Mr Locke went on: “London TravelWatch remains extremely concerned about the lack of train drivers across the franchise and problems that continue to occur with both old and new train stock which result in last minute cancellations or shorter than advertised trains.”