Watchdog appalled at deal to cut services
London TravelWatch has condemned transport officials for a secretive deal, which will deprive thousands of south London commuters of services into Victoria.
Letters from both the Department of Transport (DfT) and Transport for London (TfL) confirm that a 'backroom’ agreement was reached, and that certain services were sacrificed in the search for savings to fund the construction of the phase 2 of the East London Line extension (ELL2). The triumphant announcement of go-ahead for ELL2 failed to point out the resulting service cuts.
Particular losers as a result of the proposed changes will be those travelling to Victoria from Denmark Hill, Camberwell, Clapham, Wandsworth Road and East Dulwich. The busy Kings College and Maudsley hospitals are served by these services. Potentially, up to 600 commuters per hour use these services in the peak.
Sharon Grant, Chair, London TravelWatch said: “We are appalled that when the go-ahead for the second phase of the East London Line extension was announced, no mention was made that passengers would be losing out in this way and that undertakings previously given were being abandoned. It is nothing short of deceitful: deliberately not telling the public is 'spin’ at its worst.”
London TravelWatch wrote to both TfL and the DfT expressing its frustration, and unfortunately, the replies (from both TfL and the DfT) do not go any way to explain why the withdrawal of the proposed service was not put in the public domain.
Sharon Grant continued: “Contrary to what both TfL and DfT have claimed in their replies, it is insulting that this information was kept from us and the travelling public. But it’s not too late to oppose this decision, and we strongly advise those affected to contact their MP, the Secretary of State and the Mayor
and fight back!”
*This service was planned to replace the current Victoria to London Bridge service known as the South London Line. As part of the agreement between TfL and the Department for Transport (DfT) for the go-ahead of the East London Line extension, this will now not go-ahead.
*The current London Victoria to London Bridge service runs every 30 minutes, every day, including early mornings and evenings calling at Battersea Park, Wandsworth Road, Clapham High Street, Denmark Hill, Peckham Rye, Queens Road Peckham and South Bermondsey. Under Network Rail’s South London Route Utilisation Strategy (RUS) this service would have diverted at Peckham Rye to run to Nunhead, Crofton Park, Catford and Bellingham, with other services also enhanced to provide frequent replacement links and reduce overcrowding.
For media enquiries, please contact Jo deBank in the London TravelWatch press office on 07734 055494.
The voice of London's transport users
21 April 2009