Charlton station: Time to plan for an upgrade?

With plans for a 5,000-capacity venue near Charlton station being approved last week the future of Charlton station again came into question.

Then last week when waiting for a train the somewhat unloved nature of the place stood out. Peeling paint on the platform canopy’s and no staff.

As for the venue, there was opposition to the idea from police and Southeastern due to crowds using the station when it’s unstaffed.

The obvious question there is why is a station in inner London unstaffed at night?

Regardless of the event space nearby changes are afoot in the area with 8,000 homes long-planned. It’s been slow going but the first plot is now complete – albeit just 67 homes – though an adjacent site of 188 homes is commencing.

History

The station currently does see a pretty sparse staff presence much of the time and the platform canopies look tired. There’s no ticket gates. It does handle home games pretty well at the nearby Valley when staff are on site.

For any real improvement works though we have to go back nearly 30 years now to when the Millennium Dome was being built.

As the closest National Rail service a shuttle bus operated from the station to the site which I vaguely recall using. The large turning circle outside is a legacy of that.

It was named the M1 and designed with future upgrade to tram usage a possibility as part of the forthcoming Greenwich Waterfront Transit. That of course was cancelled.

Another legacy of that period is a canopy outside which replicated that at the dome.

While Greenwich council recently made a big thing of working with TfL as part of the 8,000-home masterplan site there was no mention of Network Rail and Southeastern (they’re one and the same now) joining up even in an advisory role.

Of course TfL’s transport modes will be essential in any success (and the data centre plan looks to throw a huge spanner in that direction) but rail travel is key. Six Southeastern trains per hour in each direction alongside two Thameslink services in each direction isn’t to be sniffed at.

London Bridge is just 16 minutes by train. The City of London is twenty, while Thameslink serves Farringdon and St Pancras to name but two direct destinations.

Improvements?

With all this in mind (thousands attending a venue in the short to mid term and thousands of homes on the way) the question is what if any improvements can or will be made?

Like most Southeastern Metro stations the answer seems to be next to none – so far.

This isn’t a new thing. For many years when major housing applications were decided TfL would often feed back into the process whilst comments on rail were absent. When Network Rail did respond – such as seeking Section 106 money to improve accessibility at Woolwich Arsenal station – they were rebuffed.

The same happened with new homes in Woolwich Dockyard when Network Rail sought funds for an accessible footbridge connecting more than new homes. Greenwich said no.

This isn’t to put all blame on the local authority however as Network Rail havn’t been great at engaging in the development process. But between the two many residents suffer and rail lines avoid funding for improvement.

Improvement

Though it would be remiss to not mention one improvement project nearby, though it isn’t regarded really as one for rail passengers it will help.

Road changes as part of cycleway 4 measures are seeing the ugly junction upgraded, making it easier for both cyclists and pedestrians to reach the station.

All things considered improvements are on the way but given the scale of housing plans and venues we’ll have to see if Charlton moves with the times.

It’ll no doubt take a fight. Over stations in the midst of major changes such as Deptford and Kidbrooke, where 6,000 new homes are being built, staffing remains little different to 20 years ago.