This week South-eastern has announced, without any prior consultation, several significant timetable changes to train services running on all 3 railway lines running through the London Borough of Bexley. Many residents have contacted Councillors and local MPs concerned at the lack of communication with users and stakeholders or any consultation on these significant changes and their impact on the travelling public.
At present, none of the railway stations have any publicity surrounding these proposed changes and Bexley Labour has urged Southeastern to start a meaningful consultation before any timetable changes are initiated.
Of concern to many residents are the following changes to services in Bexley;
- Withdrawal of all Charing Cross services on the Greenwich and Woolwich line
- Withdrawal of all off-peak and weekend services to Charing Cross on the Bexleyheath line
- Withdrawal of the round-the-loop service to Cannon Street on the Sidcup line and the Woolwich line
- Downgrading of Albany Park station
Councillor Mabel Ogundayo (Thamesmead East), Labour group spokesperson for Environment, Transport, leisure and Climate Change said
“With the Elizabeth line providing an excellent service to Abbey Wood, Southeastern has decided to remove a valuable transport link between the North and South of the borough, which leads to more people driving and causing more congested streets in Abbey Wood and Thamesmead, I urge South-eastern to reconsider this short-sighted decision.”
Councillor Stefano Borella (Slade Green and Northend ward, leader of Bexley Labour Group said
“I am appalled by the lack of any communication with users and stakeholders and the no consultation on these proposals to gauge public opinion, I am concerned at the downgrading of Albany Park station and the lack of any assessment of the impact on mobility impaired passengers and how they can access train services.”
Bexley Labour has written to Southeastern, requesting a meeting regarding the cuts and the impact it will have on Bexley residents. We will also be writing to the Secretary of state for Transport to insist that Southeastern undertake a consultation immediately as these changes are a significant alteration. Funding cuts from the Conservative government has meant that services are being reduced overall and it is clear from this latest debacle that this government is managing their failed franchising experiment and that the railways should be brought back into public ownership in the interests of the travelling public.
Should there be no further intervention from the government, the timetable changes will come into place from December 2022.