Greenwich and Bexley councillors have written to the Transport Secretary and the GTR Chief Executive to voice their concerns
Two South London councils have voiced their disappointment at cuts to Thameslink services passing through their boroughs this summer.
Councillors from both Greenwich and Bexley have written to the Secretary of State for Transport Heidi Alexander and the Chief Executive of Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) to urge them to reconsider the timetable changes.
GTR said it was making the temporary cuts to reflect a fall of up to 20 per cent in summer holiday demand on its services. This comes just days after the Government brought the UK’s largest railway operator into public ownership on June 1.
Between July 18 and August 29, services between Rainham and Luton have been slashed from every 30 minutes to once an hour on Saturdays and during the middle of the day throughout the week. Trains will still run every half hour during peak times.
The route, which begins in Kent at one end, passes through Greenwich and Bexley and stops at major transport hubs in both boroughs, such as Abbey Wood and Woolwich Arsenal.
Bexley Council’s Deputy Leader, Cllr Cameron Smith, said the lack of communication between GTR and his council before the cuts were announced was “especially unacceptable” given that the trains were now only running once an hour.
Cllr Smith raised concerns that the cuts would result in Bexley residents facing longer train journeys, congestion and illegal parking increasing in the borough – especially around Abbey Wood station – and that the move would negatively impact retail, leisure and hospitality businesses across Greater London.
Writing to Ms Alexander, he said: “Bexley residents will be disappointed that the first act following the Government’s decision to nationalise Govia Thameslink Railway will be to slash services serving our borough. Residents had hoped that the Thameslink service might be brought to additional local stations, such as Belvedere and Erith.”
Cllr Smith also communicated fears that this temporary timetable change could lead to a more permanent rail service cut in the future. He asked for assurances that this would not be the case.
Across the aisle in Bexley, Deputy Labour Leader of the Opposition, Cllr Jeremy Fosten, also voiced his disappointment in a similar letter to the Transport Secretary and GTR. He feared that the timetable changes would not be temporary and would be a “cut by stealth”.
Cllr Fosten said: “Cuts during the summer holidays will have a huge impact, as rail usage increases to allow families to go on holiday, be that abroad or within the UK.
“Bexley residents will be particularly impacted by Thameslink’s cuts as the service provides a direct link to Luton Airport and an easy connection to Gatwick, as well as connecting passengers to the Eurostar at St Pancras International.
“It is in no one’s interest to make these journeys longer and more difficult. The Elizabeth Line showed the nation that if you build transport infrastructure, the passengers will come. We struggle to see how these cuts help promote public transport usage, or indeed the connectivity of our borough.”
Across the border in Greenwich, similar concerns have been raised. Greenwich Council’s Cabinet Member for Transport, Cllr Calum O’Byrne Mulligan, said: “A reliable and regular rail service is vital for residents right across Greenwich, and so any reduction in services—even if just for a short period of time—through any part of our borough is incredibly disappointing.
“We have urged Thameslink to reverse their planned service changes through the summer. These routes are important not only for visitors to places like Greenwich Town Centre, one of London’s busiest tourist destinations, but also for residents travelling down to Kent and the coast without relying on cars.
“We fear any reduction in service frequency will not only be inconvenient for residents and visitors, but may impact local businesses as well, at an incredibly important time of the year.
“We’re disappointed that Thameslink failed to give us formal notification of the plans, and have formally requested that they reconsider any potential timetable changes during the school holidays and busiest tourism season.”
Greenwich’s Green Opposition Leader, Cllr Tamasin Rhymes, said: “Given the cost pressures on those using public transport and our need to move more people to use as much public transport as possible it is really unhelpful that services are being reduced across the borough.
“We have already had reductions to several bus routes with very little warning and this further undermines the ability of residents, visitors and workers to travel sustainably.”
In response to Greenwich and Bexley councils, GTR said it was making the changes to reflect a fall in demand for the Rainham and Luton line over the summer holidays. The rail operator also confirmed the changes were only temporary.
A GTR spokesperson said: “From July 18 to August 29 we are temporarily adjusting our timetable to reflect a fall of up to 20 per cent in summer holiday demand.
“The changes across the wider network affect just 2 per cent of our normal services, focusing on quieter trains where alternative services are available. This reduces the taxpayer subsidy and generates savings that can be reinvested to improve services year-round.
“Thameslink services on the route through Greenwich to Rainham will still be half-hourly as they are today in the weekday rush hour with trains then running hourly during the middle of the day and on Saturdays when fewer people travel. There are also alternative Southeastern services to London at these stations.
“We are boosting services where demand is growing between July and September, including services to East Grinstead connecting with the Bluebell Railway and early morning Gatwick flights.
“This demand-led approach will also help us introduce more services later this year, including, from December, doubling the number of Gatwick Express services per hour alongside twice the number of off-peak trains between London and Hertford North.”
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