Southeastern rail services in December: More links to Elizabeth liz line

Southeastern Metro services on the three Dartford lines will be boosted this coming December including more trains connecting to the Elizabeth line using the loop line from Sidcup.

This isn’t exactly breaking news given how long it’s been known but with a Southeastern report before Bexley Council tomorrow I thought it’s worth another mention.

Improvements across the day will restore cuts made back in 2022 and be welcome to those who use the Sidcup line, which regains two trains per hour throughout the day connecting to Abbey Wood for interchange with the Elizabeth line.

Those trains will also boost services along the Woolwich and Greenwich ensuring six trains per hour through Greenwich and eight through Woolwich Arsenal. A report from Southeastern before the meeting tomorrow sums it up nicely.

Restoration

Stations such as Deptford and Greenwich had six trains per hour including off-peak for many years until 2022 cuts. It was an odd time to cut services as passenger numbers were increasing and ever more passengers were seeking to reach thee incredibly popular Elizabeth line, with a not very good bus link from most towns along the Sidcup line.

On the Greenwich line things were made worse with remaining trains bunched together between Deptford and Westcombe Park via Greenwich, with two running three minutes apart and then a 27 minute gap. With Thameslink cuts over the summer and more later this month the line sees 30 minute gaps between trains.

Fortunately when Southeastern boost services after December any future Thameslink cuts next year won’t be such an issue. Well, not for those in London. For those in north Kent between Stone Crossing and Gravesend it will mean just one direct train to Abbey Wood for interchange.

Another improvement this December is the resumption of two trains per hour on the Bexleyheath line to Charing Cross.

That will benefit thousands of residents moving into new homes in towns such as Kidbrooke. Berkeley Homes have just submitted a plan to boost total homes on their ‘Kidbrooke Village’ site by a further 600 homes taking the total to 600.

TfL have hundreds more homes still to build at their site beside the Kent-bound platform. Greenwich Council have just completed hundreds more homes nearby.

Sundays

The report doesn’t list some service improvements such as two trains per hour between Woolwich, Charlton and Lewisham that will resume from December each Sunday.

As covered on this site on an almost daily basis thousands of new homes are being built around almost every station on the Woolwich line, with plenty more at stations on other lines so improved services should certainly have a customer base in future.

Southeastern and the DfT also deserve credit for restoring services. This site certainly criticised the DfT when they cut trains in the midst of growth, as well as while they’re currently cutting Thameslink services both during the summer and later this month, so when they do agree with improvements that deserves publicity.

They’ll be other improvements from December aside from the three Dartford lines on Southeastern. That includes the much welcome increase from two to four trains per hour on the Orpington to Victoria services on Saturdays as well as increased trains on the Bromley North branch.