London TravelWatch

London TravelWatch comment on GTR service reductions

Commenting on service reductions on GTR due to come in on Monday, London TravelWatch Director, Emma Gibson said:

'It is disappointing to hear that those in south London will bear the brunt of rail service cuts on GTR from Monday, particularly those travelling into London Bridge, with many services reduced to every half hour in addition to the already withdrawn extra peak hour services to and from the Wimbledon loop and Epsom. And passengers will only get to see the amended timetables when they go online tomorrow. People living in South London get a really raw deal when it comes to public transport links and we are pleased to see TfL say today that they want to work with the Government to improve National Rail in South London. It can’t come a moment too soon‘

London TravelWatch response to the publication of TfL’s financial sustainability plan

Responding to the publication of TfL’s financial sustainability plan today, London TravelWatch Director, Emma Gibson commented: ‘We’re really pleased that TfL are not advocating for more fare rises or significant service cuts, both of which would negatively affect Londoners and could lead to a car-led recovery from the pandemic. We’re also pleased that TfL recognise how important the bus is for Londoners and are looking at increasing buses in outer London town centres, something we’ve been asking for in our future transport system.

But we’re worried about an overall reduction in the number of miles that buses cover, and that the planned reduction in off peak Tube services is counter to the new way that people are moving around, with more take-up of off-peak services because of home-working.

London TravelWatch response to London fares announcement

Responding to today’s announcement by the Mayor of London about TfL fare increases from 1 March, London TravelWatch Director, Emma Gibson commented: ‘Londoners are not going to be happy about these fares rises, especially those suffering financially as a result of the pandemic. But we are pleased to see that bus fares have been kept relatively low, as buses are most used by lower income Londoners including the many key workers who have been keeping the capital going.’

Watchdog urges passengers to claim refund now for Christmas train tickets to avoid missing out

London TravelWatch is reminding passengers to claim now for train tickets they were unable to use over the Christmas period because of changing travel advice issued by the Government in mid-December.

Passengers wouldn’t usually be entitled to a refund for an ‘Advance’ ticket but a Government announcement on 21 December said that If you bought an Advance ticket between 24 November and 19 December for travel between 23-27 December you can have your money back.

New research shows the importance London bus passengers place on being able to socially distance

Responding to research published today by Transport Focus on the key drivers of perception of safety on public transport, London TravelWatch Director, Emma Gibson commented: ‘During this latest lockdown, although numbers using public transport in the capital are down with many people heeding the Government’s stay at home message, we know that many key workers still have to travel and it’s really important that that they feel safe. These latest figures published by Transport Focus today show the particular importance London bus users place on being able to effectively socially distance. But other people wearing face coverings and cleanliness on board are also important to them. Bus operators need to pay particular attention to these factors in order to make the people who have to travel feel safe.’

Eurostar must make urgent change to their website to help passengers claim cash refunds they are entitled to

Commenting on Eurostar’s failure to improve the information on cash refunds on their website as they agreed to do on 17 December, London TravelWatch Chair, Arthur Leathley said: 'With thousands of people affected by service cancellations since the weekend Eurostar are still not making it clear on their website that passengers are entitled to cash refunds. They need to be up front so that passengers who do not want a voucher can easily claim the cash refund they are legally entitled to.’

London TravelWatch says that TfL need to go back to the drawing board on its plans to make stations cashless

London TravelWatch has today written to TfL Commissioner Andy Byford to express its concern about plans to stop taking cash across all London Underground, DLR and London Overground station ticket offices and machines in the new year. This follows research by the watchdog which showed the significant impact withdrawing cash would have on passengers, especially those on low incomes or the 260,000 Londoners without a bank account.

Our key asks for transport as more people return to work in the capital

London TravelWatch has published 10 key asks for TfL, train companies and councils to make sure that public transport can cope with an increased number of passengers as more people start to return to work in London this week.

What can people expect if they are travelling on public transport in London this week?

Read a summary of the answers to our questions to TfL and train companies on safety and security concerns as more people get back to work this week.

Information for passengers seeking season ticket refunds during the Coronavirus crisis

Many passengers in and around London may have rail season tickets which they now cannot use. We’ve published a new webpage with key information passengers will need if they are making a season ticket refund request. We've also been calling for the Government and rail operators to make the refund process clearer and fairer for passengers.

Coronavirus travel information

You can find information about how National Rail operators and TfL are responding to the coronavirus on our dedicated news page.