TfL rules out regular London Overground trains to London Bridge

[stuart]

A plan to run London Overground trains into London Bridge as a regular service is unlikely to happen because Southern is expected to restore their service through the Sydenham Corridor to four trains an hour in 2025.

At the moment, Southern provides two trains an hour, having reduced the service during the pandemic. Although the line is shared with the London Overground along most of its route, people usually have to change trains along the route if they want to get to London Bridge.

More: https://www.ianvisits.co.uk/articles/tf ... dge-70906/

[alywin]

But LBG isn't on the Overground! Sorry, the Windrush line. Or the ELL, as I shall go on calling it.

Glad to know there is some prospect of getting the rest of the service reinstated, although it's too late for me. I presume there's no sign of similar movement from Southeastern via Penge East.

[sydnami]

Getting back to four trains per hour to LBG again is great news. Let's hope the two extra go down to East Croydon rather than round the loop to Victoria - that route is already well-served by four tph from nearby Penge and the existing two from Sydenham. The slow change via Norwood Junction to get to Gatwick/Brighton/rest of the south coast is a proper pain.

[simon]

I agree sydnami. Getting a direct train to East Croydon, if only twice an hour would be great. I thought it had been spoken about but not heard anything.

[Andwar]

I think TfL have missed a great oppotunity here and should have picked up the spare capacity into East Croydon.

The current end of the line at West Croydon is not very joined up when it comes to transport connections. Any one wanting to travel south via Gatwick have to change at Norwood Junction, which isn't too bad because you just walk across the platform but then there is another change at West Croydon. However, if the Overground went to West Croydon then it joins up with the rest of the transport system more efficently.

It is the upward leg to London that is the pain because the Southern train pulls into Norwood Junction and you have to negociate the poor stairs to reach the Overground platform. Which means if you have lugage, push chairs, etc it is really difficult, when all that needs to happen is for TfL to open the doors on both sides of the train. Perhaps it's too difficult to push two buttons rather than one?

It can be done as I travel to Upminster once a week and the Underground manage to do excatly this at Barking station where it connects with both the C2C and Overground lines.

Wouldn't an Overgound service to West Croydon be far better than currently terminating at East Croydon?

[JMLF]

In either case the huge issue is for anyone with an impairment that increases difficulty of changing trains. Whether it be a physical impairment due to disability or older age, a cognitive impairment or a sensory impairment by entirely cutting a direct train from Honor Oak, Forest Hill, Sydenham and Penge West to/from East Croydon is of a huge impact to a decent amount of people in my opinion. It’s not like there is an easiesh alternative for those people either unlike those without such difficulties (such as going to West Croydon and walking to East Croydon or a destination nearby)

We are lucky we have good bus routes but unfortunately they generally aren’t as reliable as the trains and take a lot longer which again puts those who have to take them at a disadvantage.

[squashst]

If I need to go to Gatwick I tend to go (from Hon Oak) to London Bridge and go from there, once I have Overground to West Croydon and tram to East Croydon. Admitttedly I have over 60 pass which helps re chopping anf changing.

But of course there should be 4 Southern trains an hour, 2 to Victoria, 2 to East Croydon. A couple of years ago there was a call with Southern and they said, we;ll its 2 trains per hour and its either/pr the route to East Croydon or Victoria. The only positive thing about the Victoria route is they tend to be longer trains. To be honest I am a little bit surprised that Southern are talking about going back to 4 trains an hour on our line (I thought they had rather given up on the shorter routes).

Ultimately, I would prefer the short Southern routes to go into London Transport. At least all the short routes would be under one body.

[alywin]

It is the upward leg to London that is the pain because the Southern train pulls into Norwood Junction and you have to negociate the poor stairs to reach the Overground platform. Which means if you have lugage, push chairs, etc it is really difficult, when all that needs to happen is for TfL to open the doors on both sides of the train. Perhaps it's too difficult to push two buttons rather than one?

It can be done as I travel to Upminster once a week and the Underground manage to do excatly this at Barking station where it connects with both the C2C and Overground lines.

It may be that the rolling stock isn't capable of opening on both sides at once, possibly for safety reasons. I think I may have heard that somewhere.

[stuart]

They could overcome that by opening one side and then the other. Might add an extra minute but it would make a great difference to the connection. Carrying heavy luggage/pushchairs/bicycles up and down those steep stairs is a H&S issue in itself.

[Just John]

I remember when we could catch direct trains to Gatwick and Brighton!

[stuart]

I remember when we could catch direct trains to Gatwick and Brighton!

On Sunday for one day only you may be able to catch an Overground direct to London Bridge!

https://www.ianvisits.co.uk/articles/ ... day-69838/