Thursday 8 January 2009

Trains from Deptford - planned changes

Thanks to the Greenwich Phantom for tipping me off to Southeastern's plans for Deptford commuters.

It's great news if you want to go to Cannon Street (these customers are surely 90% commuters travelling at peak-time?) but bad news for anyone wanting to go to Waterloo East or Charing Cross.

From December 2009, there will be FEWER direct services to Charing Cross in the morning peak time (six rather than the current seven), and what is worse is that you will NOT be able to get a direct train between Deptford and Charing Cross off peak AT ALL! So if you are planning to go out in the West End after work, or travel up to town at the weekend, you'll have to get used to that annoying schlepping between platforms at London Bridge, and the grim wait for the next train in the unappealing environs of what must count as one of London's most unattractive 'main' rail stations.

In the morning peak (7am till 10am) Southeastern is proposing to provide a total of four additional services to town. But all of these will be to Cannon Street, and what's more, one of the existing Charing Cross services will be rerouted to Cannon Street too.

According to the website there will be no off-peak services to Charing Cross at all - whereas at the moment we have direct services during evenings and on Sundays.

The proposed increase in frequency is welcomed, the skew in destinations is going to prove a total pain.

The only glimmer of hope is that the timetable is 'still under development'.

I suggest that you give your opinions on these proposals (nicely please!) via the Southeastern customer feedback form. Also I suggest you pass this information to anyone else you know who uses the same line.

4 comments:

The Flying V said...

Thanks for the heads up. As suggested I've just left SE Rail feedback, and I'll spread the word!

SE8KER said...

Me too!

Anonymous said...

Just fed back - I gave up trying to get a direct train to Charing X from Deptford some time back, and travel from New X now as there are more trains. Can't wait til the ELL and DLR improvements are finished - recently the trains have been horrendous!

Anonymous said...

Sorry Lewisham Wayward, but the story is the same for New Cross to Charing Cross after December. A big round hairy zero.