Southeastern reveal upcoming service and timetable changes
Southeastern have revealed a list of service changes set to begin at the May timetable change.
We knew some of what was coming such as the annual return of services along the Woolwich line to the Kent coast with this information also covering longer trains.
It’s pretty bare bones for Metro routes even accounting for the fact that the May timetable change often sees fewer changes than December.
While the Blackheath tunnel is closed again for 10-weeks service levels through Greenwich temporarily go back to four Southeastern trains per hour from 18th May as was the norm until 2022. However services will revert back to two per hour from mid-summer.
The Bexleyheath line sees two extra trains a day:
- Weekdays 10.25 Charing Cross to Dartford
- Weekdays 15.23 Dartford to Charing Cross
A morning peak service (7.23am Dartford to Charing Cross via Bexleyheath) increases from 10-coach to 12-coach.
The Sidcup line sees the 7.33am Gravesend to Charing Cross via Sidcup change from a Networker to a City Beam train while the 18.20 Charing Cross to Gravesend will be extended to 10-coaches from eight.
Train cascades
The biggest change will be seen on longer distance routes to Maidstone and Ashford. Eight more Southern Class 377 with air-conditioning and charging points are being introduced to replace 30+ year old Networkers. A number of Networkers have already been sent to scrap.
In turn passengers on Southern will see rolling stock move over from Great Northern.
Great Northern are set to benefit from former Greater Anglia stock left in storage for three years offering enhanced capacity. When it all shakes out Southern and Great Northern will see a net gain after each saw stock scraped in recent years reducing capacity.
Rising demand
Southeastern passenger numbers have risen by ten per cent in the recent quarter as more people head back to offices, leisure travel grows and many new homes are built around and near station.
However many of the cuts across three Dartford lines remain in terms of reduced frequency, with the fasts from New Eltham to London Bridge still not running.
Only one train per hour runs to Charing Cross on the Bexleyheath line instead of a previous two and aside from temporary changes during Blackheath tunnel work, Greenwich sees two instead of four. And of that reduced level, some are now just four carriages.
A full list of changes from May can be viewed here.
The Class 465 and Class 466 Networker trains are in need of being replaced by new trains. Maybe Alstom should start on manufacturing the new Adessia rolling stock to replace the Networkers. And to see the new Adessia trains coming into service in the new couple years.
I think that Southeastern should start thinking about replacing the Class 465 and Class 466 Networkers and perhaps Alstom to manufacture the Adessia trains that would be more suitable for long distance commuter services in Kent.
Especially to & from London Charing Cross and London Victoria to Canterbury, Tonbridge, Ramsgate, Margate, Maidstone, Folkestone, Dover and Hastings. With the Class 707 City Beam trains that are operating on the suburban services and the Hayes Line.
And to have 5-Car trains that can handle more extra passengers and to have air-conditioning, comfortable seats, WiFi, walkthrough corridors, clearer information screens and easier access for disabled passengers to board the train when travelling on the train.