March update.

Southeastern Railways changed their timetable on December 11th 2022.   There will be another timetable change in May but the changes on the Greenwichline are currently minimal if any.

https://www.southeasternrailway.co.uk/travel-information/live-travel-information/december-timetables

In summary this means the Greenwich Line still suffers from the new timetable as follows:

  • A reduction in morning peak from 13 to 8 trains on the Greenwich line
  • A reduction in the evening peak from 12 to 6 trains on the Greenwich line
  • The maximum gap increasing to 23 minutes twice an hour between off peak services towards central London on the Greenwich line resulting in a very uneven service with trains running 23 and 7 minutes apart.
  • No improvement in the gaps of 10 and 20 minutes in the off peak services from central London.
  • Loss of most Charing Cross services from Blackheath

There has still been NO consultation despite other operators consulting on their proposed changes and despite strong opposition to similar changes to the distribution of Charing Cross and Cannon St services when proposed in 2017.

If the changes affect you we still encourage you to write.  Details of who to write to can be found further down this page.

The Royal Borough of Greenwich held another Transport Scrutiny meeting on 21 March at which Councillors and members of the public again made their views know to representatives of Southeastern Railways.  Steve White, Southeastern Managing Director says the cuts are due to financial constraints.  Like on 20 October, Steve White, and his colleagues answered questions from Councillors and residents.  Unfortunately despite cross party opposition from MPs, Councillors and residents across southeast London it looks like the changes will stay, at least for the moment.  Steve White is still apologetic for the lack of consultation and the reduction in services on the Greenwich Line.  They say they are listening, that there will be future timetable changes and that they are listening to feedback.  That being said, the impression we have is that they will only listen if enough people write in.  Please write if this affects you and keep writing until changes are made.

Southeastern say the changes will mean:

  • Space on trains where it’s needed most 
  • A more consistent timetable throughout the day 
  • More trains on time

We find this hard to understand when timetable gaps on the Greenwich line are increasing and peak hour services were only increased in early 2022 to cope with overcrowding.

Pre covid the Greenwich line had six evenly spaced services every hour in each direction.  This was a service where one could ‘turn up and go’ because of the regular 10 minute gap.  Since covid we have been down to 4 off peak services each way unevenly spaced and the new timetable worsens this.  If there must be only 4 trains an hour they should be EVENLY SPACED i.e. every 15 minutes.

The Westcombe Society and others have already asked Southeastern Railways and the Department of Transport to do the following:

  • Delay the implementation of changes to allow for CONSULTATION. Unfortunately this didn’t happen
  • Retain the additional peak hour trains introduced earlier this year on the Greenwich line.  Unfortunately this didn’t happen but make your views known if you have concerns about peak hours services.
  • Improve the off-peak service on the Greenwich line with EVENLY spaced timing, preferably six an hour as the service was pre-covid.  Nothing has changed yet but make your views know, maybe Southeastern will listen if enough people write in.
  • Retain Charing Cross services via Blackheath The Blackheath Society and others ran a successful campaign with many people writing and one train an hour has now been reinstated.  

WHAT CAN YOU DO?

Answer – Sign the following petitions and also write.

Write to:

Southeastern

Steve White
Managing Director
SE Trains Limited
Second floor
4 More London Riverside
London, SE1 2AU
steve.white_MD@southeasternrailway.co.uk
please also copy to George Patterson and Toby Wilkes
George.Paterson@southeasternrailway.co.uk

Department of Transport (Southeastern is currently under DfT control)

The Rt Hon Mark Harper MP
Secretary of State for Transport
Great Minster House
33 Horseferry Rd
London SW1P 4DR

mark.harper.mp@parliament.uk

The Rt Hon Huw Merriman MP
Minister of State (Rail and HS2)
Great Minster House
33 Horseferry Rd
London SW1P 4DR

huw.merriman.mp@parliament.uk

You may also want to copy to the following:

Transport Focus
Anthony Smith Esq,
Chief Executive
Transport Focus
Albany House
94-98 Petty France
London SW1H 9EA.
anthony.smith@transportfocus.org.uk

London Travelwatch
Ms Janet Cooke,
Chief Executive
London TravelWatch
Europoint 5,
11 Lavington Street
London SE1 0NZ
janet.cooke@londontravelwatch.org.uk
info@londontravelwatch.org.uk

Greenwich Blackheath Westcombe Ward Councillors
Fletcher Leo Cllr Leo.Fletcher@royalgreenwich.gov.uk
Mariam Lolavar Mariam.Lolavar@royalgreenwich.gov.uk
Christine St Matthew-Daniel2 Christine.StMatthew-Daniel2@royalgreenwich.gov.uk

Royal Borough of Greenwich
Averil Lekau  of Greenwich’s Transport Strategy averil.lekau@royalgreenwich.gov.uk

Lewisham Blackheath Ward Councillors (re Blackheath train services)
Cllr Juliet Campbell Juliet.Campbell@lewisham.gov.uk
Cllr Amanda DeRyk amanda.deryk@lewisham.gov.uk
Cllr Luke Warner Luke.Warner@lewisham.gov.uk

MPs

Matthew Pennycook, Greenwich and Woolwich matthew.pennycook.mp@parliament.uk, 

Janet Dalby, Lewisham East (re Blackheath train services) janet.daby.mp@parliament.uk,