Commuters taking the trains via Greenwich and Deptford have called the service on their line a “complete and utter shambles” since the timetable change last month.

Thameslink trains all changed in May but it has seen widespread disruption so far, with a spokesperson admitting they had to remove 230 trains from their national timetables this week.

Users on the Greenwich line, which runs through Deptford, Greenwich, Maze Hill and Westcombe Park and serves 5.5 million passengers annually, have been particularly irritated by the cancellations.

On June 1 only five Thameslink trains ran to London the whole day on the line, instead of the 36 trains that are scheduled.

Mike Sparham, from the Greenwich Line Users’ Group, called their train service since the timetable change a “complete and utter shambles”.

He said: “Before the new timetable, we were promised extra trains and new journey opportunities but, instead, we have a reduced service on Southeastern and nothing reliable at all on Thameslink.

“GTR have said sorry and given vague promises that it will get better in time. That is not good enough.

“They have had since June 2017 to plan the timetable and, if GTR are incapable of providing the service they promised, then the contract should be given to someone who can.”

In a statement in the Commons, Mr Grayling revealed that Govia Thameslink "assured me personally that they were ready" just three weeks before services were rescheduled on May 20.

"Clearly this was wrong and it is totally unacceptable," he said. "The rail industry has collectively failed to deliver for the passengers it serves.

"It's right that the industry has apologised for the situation that we are currently in and that we learn the lessons for the future."

Labour accused the Transport Secretary of being "asleep at the wheel", with shadow transport secretary Andy McDonald telling MPs that if Theresa May was "not so enfeebled" Mr Grayling would have been sacked.

A Govia Thameslink spokesperson said: “May’s new timetable was part of the biggest change to services for decades, introducing 400 extra services and providing longer trains to address the doubling of passengers on our network in just 16 years.

“We always said it would be challenging and we apologise sincerely for the significant disruption being experienced by passengers. Delayed approval of the timetable led to an unexpected need to substantially adjust our plans and resources in an unexpectedly short time-frame.

“This amounts to 6 per cent of the 3,600 daily journeys across the GTR network. Additionally, we have buses to cover some service gaps – these are also showing in online journey planners such as National Rail Enquiries. However, as normal we ask passengers to check before they travel.”