Southeastern to increase services – but cuts remain
Southeastern are to increase rail services from December but some cuts will remain.
The company but out a press release yesterday and outlets like the News Shopper dutifully copied it pretty much wholesale.
However, looking into train times uploaded into the excellent RealTimeTrains site shows heavy cuts remain.
For example, the Sidcup line’s 33 per cent daytime cuts remain in place. Previous service levels at six trains per hour are still four per hour.
Uneven service spacing results in gaps of 20 minutes, which is not the minimum level of “turn up and go”. That’s when passengers can arrive and be confident of a train soon without checking timetables.
Fifteen minute gaps maximum is regarded as the minimum for “turn up and go”.
The fast trains along the line also now stop at every station slowing journeys.
The London Overground frequency at 3am when night services return will be higher in places at trains every 15 minutes than daytime services on Southeastern Metro.
The 14:39 Slade Green to Cannon Street via Greenwich will also no longer operate.
Positives
Post-midnight trains finally return which will help London’s beleaguered night time economy.
Until now people out for work or leisure have needed to take night buses or expensive cabs.
This is the list of evening trains returning:
Meanwhile there’s no news on improving chronic understaffing at stations across the Southeastern metro network.
With the Treasury and Department for Transport demanding heavy public transport cuts including rail, any improvement to encourage public transport usage seems remote.
Heavy levels of congestion on roads is likely to continue. A fantastic asset is still not being fully utilised. Far from it.
So still no late night trains for Deptford, Greenwich, Maze Hill, Westcombe Park, New Cross or St. John’s as their all Charing Cross trains. I wish SE would run some trains via the route Thameslink Rainham trains take if they don’t want Cannon Street open late at night.
Because the Cannon Street loop services via Bexleyheath don’t run off peak there is an annoying gap of 19 minutes between trains to London Bridge that occurs twice an hour at Slade Green. I’ve been caught out twice with this now.