Steep Thameslink rail cuts start today along Woolwich line
Rail cuts on Thameslink have commenced today including halving the service along the Greenwich line and through north Kent.
Cuts on the state-run operator have been introduced shortly after the Department for Transport took over direct control.
Service reductions bring trains down to just one per hour off-peak through north Kent stations that saw double-digit annual passenger growth in recent figures, in large part down to many new housing developments at each station.
Just one direct train per hour is now running directly from a string of north Kent stations to Abbey Wood for interchange with the Elizabeth line.
Previous cuts
Due to previous Southeastern rail cuts in 2022 also enforced by the Departmenr for Transport (Southeastern has been under DfT contrrol since 2021), services further towards central London now see 30 minute gaps in services. Ten years ago trains were every 10 minutes.
These latest cuts lasting for six weeks – and due to be repeated later in the year – now ensure the worst service level in decades.
That’s despite stations such as Deptford now seeing the highest number of passengers for decades. A large number of housing developments have risen nearby and the evning economy has grown with a number of bars and places to eat opening beside the station.
Greenwich sees large gaps during peak summer tourist season.
Not only does the halving of services impact connections to the Elizabeth line, tourism, leisure travel and the evening economy but also reduces any resilience.
One cancellation of a Thameslink service now means a potential wait up to two hours from some stations.
Thameslink defended the move lcaiming its a fraction of overall services. True, but not much use when you now have just one train per hour or see far longer gaps at stations like Greenwich or Deptford.
As for government’s wider aims of apparently encouraging growth, tourism, the evening economy, reducing car usage and new housing these moves go against each and every single one.
Maybe there is an option to extend the Elizabeth Line to Gravesend and possibly as far as Rainham if Thameslink were to axe the Luton-Rainham service completely. And with the Elizabeth Line Class 345s to be upgraded with DC shoebox to allow them to run on DC 750v 3rd Rail from Abbey Wood to Gravesend and Rainham.
As Thameslink Class 700 Desiro City are dual voltage since they were first built and entered service in June 2016. And change power supply or voltage at Farringdon/City Thameslink. And use AC 25kv OHLE to Bedford, Cambridge and Peterborough.
Rather keep Thameslink operating to Rainham until the Elizabeth Line gets extended to Gravesend. And to push back Thameslink to run to Dartford.