Sydenham Hill/Penge East to lose direct trains to St Pancras

[admin]

Received this from our friends in Beckenham:

Last week the new franchise for Thameslink and Great Northern (TSGN) was announced with a network map depicting that services from Beckenham Junction to St Pancras and beyond will not run for the whole term of the franchise.

Beckenham, Penge and Sydenham will lose the service in favour of the Wimbledon Loop having 4 trains an hour to St Pancras and beyond. Could this service capacity not have been shared between Beckenham with Wimbledon?

Further when the new South Eastern Franchise is renewed in 2018, these services will be moved from Thameslink, Southern and Great Northern (TSGN) to the new franchise and there is no guarantee that the reduced service from Beckenham Junction onwards to Blackfriars will remain.

Sign up here to register your objection to the loss of St Pancras and beyond train services from Beckenham Junction. CLICK HERE http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/save ... tion-to-st

Further information can be found on the Copers Cope Area Residents' Association Beckenham website http://www.coperscope.org.uk

[Suzee]

I've signed the petition. This is quite a useful route into the City and with only a few trains each day I was hoping these might be increased not stopped altogether!

[alywin]

Aren't there only 3 trains a day in each direction or something, though? Not exactly a viable service.

I used to live near Birkbeck station. We had, I think, three trains up to Victoria via Clapham Junction in the morning peak, and none at all back in the evening (they ran from London Bridge. Work that one out). They eventually changed them all to London Bridge services. There *are* certain things which just don't make sense.