Users of Gospel Oak to Barking line get month of free travel following delays
Users of a London Overground line that has been beset by delays and setbacks have been given a month of free travel as compensation.
London mayor Sadiq Khan requested free travel for the users of the Gospel Oak to Barking line, which will now be in place from 31 August to 1 October.
Read more: Long-suffering users of Gospel Oak to Barking line finally see electric trains come into service
The line, which is used by 30,000 people on a daily basis, is now served by four new electric trains which arrive at the station every 15 minutes.
Users of the line were told a number of times that the electric trains, built by Bombardier, would come into service only to be disappointed by repeated delays caused by software issues.
The first pair of the new trains, announced by Transport for London (TfL) in May, began carrying passengers later that month. The final two trains have just be installed.
Read more: Gospel Oak to Barking line users receive month of free travel
Heidi Alexander, deputy mayor for transport, said: “I’m delighted that the new electric trains are now fully in operation on the Gospel Oak to Barking line – doubling capacity for passengers, providing free WiFi and improving air quality for everyone.
“The month’s free travel, which was requested by the mayor, is a well-deserved thank you to passengers for their patience, and we have made it as simple as possible for people to benefit from this offer.”