Four extra Southeastern trains along Bexleyheath line from December
The slow restoration of services on Southeastern Metro looks set to continue later this year according to Network Rail with further trains through Bexleyheath, Eltham and Kidbrooke.
In a response to a question from the Blackheath Society before a forthcoming Lewisham Council transport meeting, Network Rail state:
“In the December timetable, there will be four additional services will be introduced every weekday on this route.”
The May timetable changes are yet to start but Southeastern are already planning the next change. Next month sees modest changes with just two extra services:
- Weekdays 10.25 Charing Cross to Dartford
- Weekdays 15.23 Dartford to Charing Cross
Previous cuts
Metro lines saw steep cuts in 2022 with the Eltham line losing it’s all-day two trains per hour service to Charing Cross. A one train per hour service was eventually restored.
Restoring one service a day towards London in May and presumably two further in December still leaves much of the day with half the frequency it previously saw.
The Bexleyheath line passes areas of major housing growth including Kidbrooke where more than 6,000 new homes are planned as well as Lewisham.
Recent stats showed Southeastern passenger numbers rose eight per cent on the same period last year.
SE once again ignoring that the only reason “these are services to London Bridge” is because the demand for Charing Cross, if they simply reinstated the Charing Cross trains along Charlton to Slade Green they’d tell a different story, there is zero demand for Cannon Street and not much for Thameslink, SE is determined to run services down
Maybe add more extra buses to serve Kidbrooke including ones that now pass underneath Silvertown Tunnel.