Reduction in services from London Bridge
Re: Reduction in services from London Bridge
Bumping - FINAL DAY OF CONSULTATION! Speak now, or forever after hold your peace and suffer the consequences
Re: Reduction in services from London Bridge
The probable answer is that Trainline, like various other sites, prioritises speed over ease. It's a very long way round from Vic to LBG! I mean, VIC-SYD is about 40 minutes alone.squashst wrote:There seems to be something really weird with the London Bridge to Victoria route. I typed in London Bridge to Victoria on Monday evening and there aren't any! Trainline tells you to go Elephant Castle go to Blackfriars and get the tube!
But I went into London Bridge today and there are trains to Victoria running.
So the long and short of it is its totally unclear. Maybe Southern has decided to axe Bridge to Victoria trains in the week (but I can't find any advice of this). Or its something to do with London Bridge development. I shall email Southern and suggest others do the same.
Re: Reduction in services from London Bridge
I'm afraid this is Standard Practice these days - and I guess it's a direct result of the train companies being penalised for delays. Far easier to add some (more) slack to the timetable than to run a reasonably-timed service but run the risk of penaltiesnasaroc wrote:In addition Southern are proposing to stop trains at each station for an extra minute - as a result the journey from Sydenham to London Bridge will take almost 5 minutes longer and on the "loop line" to Victoria over 8 minutes longer. In addition, they've come up with a further delaying plan to stop every loop line train for five minutes at Crystal Palace. Yes that's right - the train is on time and it's held at CP station for five minutes! This is all about saving Southern from potential fines - it isn't about Providing a good service.
In the days when I was commuting from Elmers End, I think it used to take 26 minutes to/from Charing Cross. It now takes 32 minutes simply as far as Clock House. And I remember the Beckenham Junction-London Bridge service via Crystal Palace having an extra 3 minutes added to it at times.Re: Reduction in services from London Bridge
"A train service that train users are choosing not to use because it is so unreliable is a terrible indictment;"
It is that, of course. But with train use having doubled in twenty years, the train operators can afford to show passengers the contempt they currently display in the sound knowledge that, well, basically, they can. Who's to stop them?
Right now I'd guess they'll keep riding the (ahem) gravy train until a government without ideological prejudice gets in on a mandate to stop the racket. Markets do not work where there is no consequence for failure.
It is that, of course. But with train use having doubled in twenty years, the train operators can afford to show passengers the contempt they currently display in the sound knowledge that, well, basically, they can. Who's to stop them?
Right now I'd guess they'll keep riding the (ahem) gravy train until a government without ideological prejudice gets in on a mandate to stop the racket. Markets do not work where there is no consequence for failure.
Re: Reduction in services from London Bridge
The theory then is that you catch the service down to East Croydon (oh wait, that's the one they want to get rid of) or at least to Norwood Junction (where the interchange isn't step-free) and catch the fast/a train via Crystal Palace back up. I can never work out which is theoretically quicker, although I've done it several times myself.rod taylor wrote:The difficulty is that if you are standing at Syd or FH station and want to get to Clapham Junc, for example, a train running on schedule would take 20-25 minutes. Cancel that train and you're looking at an hour. Do that in 40% of your journeys and... well I mean you can't - it renders the timetable meaningless.
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Cllr Paul Upex
- Posts: 10
- Joined: 1 Sep 2015 14:41
- Location: Sydenham
Re: Reduction in services from London Bridge
Hello all
Sorry for the delay(!) in sharing this with you.
Below is a motion that I proposed and was unanimously backed at the last Lewisham Council meeting plus a link to the Labour website article.
Proposed by Councillor Upex and Seconded by Councillor Barnham
“Many Lewisham residents rely heavily on train services in order to manage work, family and social life, to a greater extent than residents in many other London boroughs. It has been clear for some time that train services for the Borough are in need of substantial improvement. One example is the unacceptably poor service on trains serving Crofton Park, Catford, Bellingham and stations beyond, which has been highlighted by the 'Cinderella Line' campaign and Vicky Foxcroft MP.
Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) has launched an extensive consultation which sets out proposed changes to the timetable which will be operated by GTR in 2018 following completion of the Thameslink Programme. The Council warmly welcomes some of these proposals, notably the intention to introduce four trains an hour on the Catford Loop through Crofton Park and Bellingham on Monday to Saturday. We also welcome the imminent introduction of new rolling stock, with greater capacity.
But the changes to the Catford Loop do not go far enough, nor do they align sufficiently with wider train services. And other changes would have a sharply detrimental effect on residents who use the following stations - Sydenham, Forest Hill, Honor Oak, and Brockley. The changes which would be especially unwelcome include:
• Diverting all East Croydon services to West Croydon - making it take longer to get to Gatwick and other destinations in Sussex.
• Reducing peak services to London Bridge to four trains an hour (the same capacity as the rest of the day). These services would be replaced by five-carriage Overground trains to Dalston Junction.
This Council accordingly calls upon the Mayor of Lewisham to write to Southern on behalf of all Councillors and all passengers who use these services, calling for:
• the direct Service to East Croydon from Sydenham, Forest Hill, Honor Oak, Brockley to be maintained
• No cuts to peak services to London Bridge and a return to pre-revised timetable levels of 6 trains per hour (not least because, while welcoming an increase in Overground trains to Canada Water, we have concerns with regards to safety at this already overcrowded station)
• And for the Catford Loop:
o trains into central London to continue through to Kentish Town/St Pancras, not terminating at Blackfriars, which is a difficult interchange
o Four trains an hour also on Sundays, when demand can be as high as on other days
o Trains to be timed evenly at 15–minute intervals, instead of 10 or 20 minutes, so that people have greater certainty about when the next train is due
o Coordination with London Overground services at Denmark Hill and Peckham
This Council also asks that these matters be considered by the Public Transport Liaison Committee, with its findings subsequently reported back to full Council.”
http://www.lewishamlabour.com/lewisham_ ... _proposals
Sorry for the delay(!) in sharing this with you.
Below is a motion that I proposed and was unanimously backed at the last Lewisham Council meeting plus a link to the Labour website article.
Proposed by Councillor Upex and Seconded by Councillor Barnham
“Many Lewisham residents rely heavily on train services in order to manage work, family and social life, to a greater extent than residents in many other London boroughs. It has been clear for some time that train services for the Borough are in need of substantial improvement. One example is the unacceptably poor service on trains serving Crofton Park, Catford, Bellingham and stations beyond, which has been highlighted by the 'Cinderella Line' campaign and Vicky Foxcroft MP.
Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) has launched an extensive consultation which sets out proposed changes to the timetable which will be operated by GTR in 2018 following completion of the Thameslink Programme. The Council warmly welcomes some of these proposals, notably the intention to introduce four trains an hour on the Catford Loop through Crofton Park and Bellingham on Monday to Saturday. We also welcome the imminent introduction of new rolling stock, with greater capacity.
But the changes to the Catford Loop do not go far enough, nor do they align sufficiently with wider train services. And other changes would have a sharply detrimental effect on residents who use the following stations - Sydenham, Forest Hill, Honor Oak, and Brockley. The changes which would be especially unwelcome include:
• Diverting all East Croydon services to West Croydon - making it take longer to get to Gatwick and other destinations in Sussex.
• Reducing peak services to London Bridge to four trains an hour (the same capacity as the rest of the day). These services would be replaced by five-carriage Overground trains to Dalston Junction.
This Council accordingly calls upon the Mayor of Lewisham to write to Southern on behalf of all Councillors and all passengers who use these services, calling for:
• the direct Service to East Croydon from Sydenham, Forest Hill, Honor Oak, Brockley to be maintained
• No cuts to peak services to London Bridge and a return to pre-revised timetable levels of 6 trains per hour (not least because, while welcoming an increase in Overground trains to Canada Water, we have concerns with regards to safety at this already overcrowded station)
• And for the Catford Loop:
o trains into central London to continue through to Kentish Town/St Pancras, not terminating at Blackfriars, which is a difficult interchange
o Four trains an hour also on Sundays, when demand can be as high as on other days
o Trains to be timed evenly at 15–minute intervals, instead of 10 or 20 minutes, so that people have greater certainty about when the next train is due
o Coordination with London Overground services at Denmark Hill and Peckham
This Council also asks that these matters be considered by the Public Transport Liaison Committee, with its findings subsequently reported back to full Council.”
http://www.lewishamlabour.com/lewisham_ ... _proposals
Re: Reduction in services from London Bridge
Thank you.
Is there anything else that we can ourselves be doing? Many of us struggle to make time for campaigning but would love to help, if only we knew how to do so without it becoming onerous. Should an online petition be opened or similar?
Is there anything else that we can ourselves be doing? Many of us struggle to make time for campaigning but would love to help, if only we knew how to do so without it becoming onerous. Should an online petition be opened or similar?