09 December 2022
Southeastern railway has introduced a new timetable (starting Sunday 11 December 2022) with cuts to direct services to and from Charing Cross, Cannon Street and Waterloo East. Many passengers will now need to change at London Bridge, splitting their journey in two and adding more time. Direct ‘Loop’ line services connecting Southeastern trains to new Elizabeth line stations have also been cut.
Joanna Davidson, CEO for London TravelWatch, said:
“Rather than ‘all change’ as Southeastern insist, this timetable is bad change for many passengers.
“The important thing now the timetable has been pushed through – despite opposition – is to make sure that help is on hand to support those people who need it most.
“We want to see staff being proactive and approaching passengers to offer help at key locations as we know that not all disabilities are immediately obvious, or visible.
“We will be researching the impact of the timetable and if concerns are raised, we will be asking questions of the Minister as to why it was allowed without prior consultation. We will also want to see what impact the changes have on train punctuality, and that the promised improvements materialise.”
