Forthcoming Southeastern rail cuts: MP’s line up to complain but to what end?

Southeastern’s recent announcement of forthcoming timetable cuts coming this December has seen a succession of MPs criticise changes over recent days.

This site first covered changes three weeks weeks ago based upon both public information and information coming in from those who work within the railway.

In the past week official announcements have finally been made. Changes impact all lines across south east London will reductions in services, destinations and crucially large service gaps set to be introduced.

Many MPs are calling out Southeastern though we shouldn’t forget the role of the Department for Transport and Treasury in these cuts.

They’ve long sought cuts in services and funding which has previously impacted routes across the country.

Southeastern is the handy whipping boy situated between those who make decisions and passengers who rely on services.

A useful deflection

Woolwich and Greenwich MP Matt Pennycook for example has published his letter to Southeastern.

Southeastern’s December timetable changes will have a significant detrimental impact on local passengers, reducing the choice of London terminals, lengthening waiting and journey times, and risking overcrowding on peak services.

My letter to Managing Director, Steve White 👇🏻 pic.twitter.com/e2mDuQv5U9

— Matthew Pennycook MP (@mtpennycook) October 1, 2022

It criticises a lack of consultation and references the 2017 consultation into service changes.

Around that time the Department for Transport put out its tender documents after then-Transport Secretary Chris Grayling blocked a prior agreement made by his predecessor Patrick McGoughlin to devolve SE Metro service to TfL.

McGoughlin was a pragmatist. His successor wasn’t.

Grayling embarked upon his plan with a DfT document riddled with errors. Most notably about future housebuilding.

At the time I highlighted how the DfT had badly underestimated housing growth in south east London and Kent according to both what was actually approved and various projections and local plans. The former MP for Erith & Thamesmead Teresa Pearce contacted the DfT after those odd numbers, and the DfT accepted a “mistake”.

The DfT made a pig’s ear of that process and again little happened. No new franchise was ever awarded.

Fast forward

Since the pandemic Southeastern’s parent company Go-Ahead were found to be responsible for financial mismanagement and the DfT took even further control.

Now forthcoming cuts are apparently based on current passenger numbers – though these plans also seem keen to choke off any post-pandemic recovery with long gaps between services.

It’s notable for example that cuts on the Woolwich line to Lewisham (where thousands of homes, shops and a cinema are now being built) also include off-peak times such as Sundays.

The argument about simplifying routes may hold up during peak times if overall trains weren’t being cut but they are, and even during the weekend?

We also need factor in that most Southeastern Metro stations are barely staffed and barriers left open all hours so accurate calculation of passengers is hard to come by.

I mean really, who actually pays to travel? It’s a free railway.

Also many of the Networkers – the bulk of the Metro fleet – lack the ability to measure passenger using on-train measuring tools. Only one if four Networkers across the whole fleet have it.

Letters and complaints

Needless to say, I doubt local MPs and local councillors such as the head of Greenwich Conservatives’ protestations will achieve too much. Southeastern are hardly the ultimate decision makers after all.

To compound the issue, cuts would have been drawn up before the latest Tory leader and chancellor were in place. Incidentally both new Tory leader and chancellor live in Greenwich but I really doubt they know or care about what the average Joe is doing on their commute.

Now both Truss and Kwarteng have embarked upon huge uncosted tax cuts there will inevitably follow huge spending cuts to plug the gap.

That could mean even bigger rail cuts to come next year, and what we see proposed for December will be a walk in the park before the axe falls further in 2023.

It’ll be a tall order not only to reverse forthcoming cuts but ensure further reductions don’t swiftly follow.

After all that’ll certainly get the economy moving.