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Railwatch 086 - November 2000

South East

By Richard Pout

London orbitals Our big lobbying success is the Outer Circle Campaign. As soon as Transport for London (TfL) had been established we secured a meeting with Susan Kramer, who chairs the TfL rail sub-board, and another with Dave Wetzel. Both are keen to see the East London Line extension from Whitechapel north to Dalston started soon and linking it up to the rest of the orbital network. As well as restoring the former North London route towards the City, plans now include restoring the Canonbury Curve to Finsbury Park (closed 1976) and to Willesden Junction via Primrose Hill (closed 1992). The Transport and Works Order application for the East London Line southern extension is proceeding. RDS has not needed to lodge any formal objection, but we will be making representations about service development over the Railtrack network.

The other missing link from our Outer Circle Network is a connection from Clapham Junction eastward to Brixton, Peckham and Lewisham. We support the suggestion that one East London Line southern extension option, to Clapham Junction, should be reconsidered.

Another success for the Barking-Gospel Oak Line group is a winter Sunday service, back after many years absence! Also we have encouraged Silverlink to run a later train on the North London Line from Richmond to Stratford at 23.00, which connects with the last train from Clapham Junction. But - a big but - it is still before pubs shut and hospital shiftworkers finish, two important passenger markets in London and does not run on Saturdays when the last train runs about 10 minutes earlier!

Local transport plans Local authority partnership group LTPs increasingly feature rail schemes. SWELTRAC, the SW London grouping, has produced its LTP with many rail-related projects for integration and access to stations, and with SELTRANS, the similar grouping for SE London, has sponsored the South London Metro Study. This is to evaluate the potential demand for Metro frequency services and identify what additional infrastructure may be needed to provide this service level if the new GLA is to achieve success with traffic reduction policies and congestion charging.

Thameslink 2000 inquiry This started in June and RDS has given its main evidence. The retention of King's Cross Thameslink station remains a major issue where the proposed closure represents the loss of an important passenger facility. Our examination of witnesses and evidence demonstrated that platform extensions to the east using land owned by Railtrack was viable. The station could also meet acceptable access standards with lifts and wheelchair access. If retained and suitably renamed Clerkenwell or Pentonville Road, there are many spin-off benefits for passengers.

London branch supported the view put by several LAs that plans for improving London area suburban services through Herne Hill and Streatham, with an enhanced quarter-hourly service in each direction around the Wimbledon to Sutton loop, were more important than some proposed long-distance routes. The present inadequate local services simply do not reflect potential demand or passenger expectations. Restoring stations at Walworth and Camberwell and providing some additional capacity through Herne Hill and Tulse Hill is essential to deliver quarter-hourly metro frequencies.

Refranchising Welcoming the many initiatives from Chiltern in their re-franchising package, one element is still missing - a regular local service at Sudbury Hill and Sudbury & Harrow Road. Our campaign to justify a better Chiltern Metro inner-suburban service continues.

The First Group plan for construction of the Chelsea- Hackney route tunnel to relieve capacity at Waterloo could offer many benefits by diverting the SWT suburban services into a cross-London route that links up with suburban routes in NE London.

Kent Promoting rail in Kent, a county where car travel dominates all travel patterns other than the London daily commute, is not easy. To show what can be done, the town of Deal actively promoted a Car-Free Day in September and encouraged Connex to extend the hourly fast Charing Cross- Dover Priory service on to Ramsgate, effectively running a Saturday service on Friday. Could this be done daily? Experience shows a reliable half-hourly service will attract many more car users if the alternative is often a traffic jam!

Tunbridge Wells MP Archie Norman has indicated his support for the Tunbridge Wells- Eridge route as part of the regional network. With the continuing interest in Uckfield- Lewes as a relief route for some Brighton line traffic, a coherent plan is now needed to show how services could develop on these restored lines.

Local campaigning Contact us if there is an issue in your area you would like to develop. The branch always welcomes new recruits to our campaigning team, so please phone either Keith Dyall on 020 8959 7147 or Richard Pout on 020 8348 5064.

Note: contact details (postal and email addresses, along with telephone numbers) in old editions of Railwatch out of date. Click CONTACT US for latest contact details.


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