Southeastern reintroducing peak time trains on Greenwich and Bexleyheath lines
Southeastern are reintroducing some services on the Greenwich and Bexleyheath lines after heavy cuts begun on Monday.
The line through Greenwich saw a reduction from six trains operating from Thameslink and Southeastern per hour in the peak to just two, and such levels meant that even with reduced passenger numbers using rail, trains were busy.
Services on the Bexleyheath line to Cannon Street are also back from next Monday after being withdrawn.
Covid sickness was given for the steep reductions from Monday.
There are however also concerns that the Treasury’s desire steep cuts to rail budgets is also leading to some overzealous reductions.
Such low frequencies in busy urban areas will inevitably turn passengers away, and this week was a good first hand experience. Greenwich station was busy as people waited for one of just two trains per hour, and on one day I left as the wait was simply too long.
Yet buses were packed and so were roads. Cutting trains so heavily is bound to have a knock-on effect on congested roads – and with pollution warnings in force today with people told not to exercise, we see a stark example of what severe cuts will do, even when covid fades.
From Monday Southeastern peak time trains go up from two to four per hour – the minimum of a turn up and go level of service.
I think there may be some inaccuracies in this article. You say that trains were reduced from 8 services an hour from Thameslink and Southeastern to just 2 services an hour, but I have only noticed a reduction to 4 services on the whole line. As far as I can tell, service has not dropped below 2 services an hour into Charing Cross via Lewisham and 2 services an hour via Greenwich into Cannon St. While some stations (Deptford to Westcombe Park) now only have two services per hour, these only had 6 to begin with, and not 8.
Still, the cuts have been swingeing and are not appreciated. Here’s to hoping for a return to full service as soon as possible!
I was referring to the stretch through Greenwich dropping to 2 an hour as I’ve had first hand experience there a couple of days this week. As you say the trains via Lewisham were running so Woolwich for example saw 4tph.