A train firm has come under fire from MPs for axing hundreds of daily services to and from central London since the start of the pandemic.
They said changes being introduced by Southeastern on Sunday [December 11] “beggar belief” as they ignored the recent increase in passengers and the wish to interchange with the Elizabeth line.
They warned of rush-hour overcrowding due to fewer trains and “humungous” safety concerns at stations such as Lewisham, where thousands of commuters change onto the DLR to travel to Canary Wharf.
Southeastern will have 302 fewer weekday trains and 426 fewer at the weekend, compared with September 2019 service levels, under timetable changes that aim to save cash and align its services with demand.
It is removing some direct services to Charing Cross that have existed since Victorian times — with passengers instead routed to Cannon Street, a “ghost area” at the weekend.
Last day of getting the direct train to Waterloo thanks to @Se_Railway cuts which will massively negatively impact #Eltham residents!
— Sammy Backon (@BackonSammy) December 9, 2022
Latest figures from the Department for Transport show that passenger numbers on the national railways recovered to 84 per cent by Monday this week.
But Southeastern was accused of basing its calculations on figures that were six months old.
Labour MP Clive Efford, who represents Eltham, told a parliamentary debate that a 20 per cent cut in morning rush-hour trains on the Bexleyheath line would force 3,000 passengers onto other trains.
Sir David Evenett, Tory MP for Bexleyheath and Crayford, said the changes would be a “disaster”. He accused Southeastern of implementing an “inconsiderate, unfair and damaging new timetable”.
He said the Bexleyheath line would lose its off-peak and weekend services to Charing Cross, while the Sidcup line would lose off-peak and weekend services to Cannon Street.
A “loop line” that connects with the Elizabeth line at Abbey Wood - and to Charlton Athletic football club - is also being axed.
Sir David said: “The new timetable has met with huge dismay across our borough of Bexley, and indeed throughout other parts of south-east London. My constituents and I are bitterly disappointed by, and rather angry about, the lack of consultation.
“The status given to Cannon Street as a major terminus area is absolute nonsense. Cannon Street is a commuter line. It is a ghost area outside the rush hour.
“Charing Cross is the most popular service for rail users travelling to London from Bexley for both work and leisure. The changes are inconsiderate, totally unfair and lacking in logic.”
Matthew Pennycook, Labour MP for Greenwich and Woolwich, said there was a risk of “severe overcrowding”.
“It beggars belief that levels of demand as they were six months ago are being used to justify the kind of radical and disruptive change that is due to come into force next week,” he said.
Vicky Foxcroft, Labour MP for Lewisham Deptford, said St Johns station would lose 19 services a day while there would be no direct off-peak services from Blackheath to Charing Cross.
She said: “Lewisham station is absolutely rammed at times, and there have been humungous safety concerns around it and the rerouting of passengers.”
Southeastern is under the control of the Department for Transport. The timetable changes include some new services, including peak-hour trains between Crayford and Blackfriars. It says reducing the number of trains “crossing over” at Lewisham will reduce delays.
Steve White, managing director of Southeastern Railway, said only five weekday services were being cut as a result of the Sunday timetable changes - a reduction from 1,691 to 1,686 trains.
Tonight’s editorial says ‘the firm are cutting 302 trains each weekday’. We are actually cutting 5 (1691 to 1686). Your figures relate to precovid (when we had 30% more weekday customers) and give the impression of huge cuts taking place. None of the new services are mentioned.
— Steve White (@SteveWhiteRail) December 8, 2022
Transport minister Huw Merriman said: “The changes in travel habits, alongside the successful introduction of Elizabeth line services, mean that all-day weekday demand on Southeastern services is around 70 per cent of pre-covid levels.
“That figure drops to between 50 per cent and 65 per cent during peak periods. Demand simply does not warrant 2019 levels of service provision.”
Joanna Davidson, chief executive of London TravelWatch, said: “Rather than ‘all change’ as Southeastern insist, this timetable is bad change for many passengers.
“We will be researching the impact of the timetable and if concerns are raised, we will be asking questions of the Minister as to why it was allowed without prior consultation.
“We will also want to see what impact the changes have on train punctuality, and that the promised improvements materialise."
