17 October - Bexley rail issues
One thing you can say about Southeastern’s contribution to the Transport
Users’ Committee is that they come well prepared and as usual opened with a slide show.
With nothing much new to say beyond the Charing Cross closure being completed on
time it was mainly a repeat of the claim - backed by data - that they run one of
the better railways in regard to cancellations and late running. Typically
nearly 90% of trains being no more than 3% late. I am not sure what that means exactly but it is how Train Operating Companies report punctuality. Average
cancellations run at not much over 1%.
The main lines were affected more than the Metro by the hot weather which in
extreme cases distorted the trackbed. The Autumn timetable changes (skipped
stops) have not much affected Bexley.
As we have heard before, Abbey Wood is far and away the most crime-ridden station.
There will be a significant timetable change in December and the all day (8
until 8 approximately) Greenwich/Sidcup rounder service, will be fully restored Monday to Saturday.
It was noted by Councillor Thomas Clapperton (Conservative, West Heath) that 8:30 is not late enough for
Charlton fans to get back to Sidcup and despite four trains an hour from Dartford
being restored there are still 26 minute gaps.
It was a surprise to learn that passenger numbers are assessed by attaching
scales to the train suspension and weighing the load rather than counting tickets.
Councillor Jeremy Fosten (Labour) was frustrated by the fact he could not get a train
from Belvedere to Charing Cross - he is not alone - but there are no plans to restore that service.
The SE railman said that Lewisham remained a problem and trains using crossings to
switch to the right track in the time honoured fashion cause late running.
I teased Jeremy by reminding the Committee that the North Kent line once had a choice of
Cannon Street, Charing Cross or Victoria. That there was a cross-platform
interchange at London Bridge and trains were typically getting to Abbey Wood in
under 25 minutes. The fastest was only 19 against the regular 28 minutes in 2026
- even after spending millions on flyovers some years ago.
The Southeastern man said that London Bridge provides an easy Charing
Cross/Cannot Street interchange. No it does not. An architectural
masterpiece perhaps but descending a long escalator, checking the time of
day and a departure board and then rushing up another escalator is in my
opinion an abomination and nothing like as simple as when I first commuted
to London Bridge 60 years ago.
Mr. Southeastern believed that passenger inconvenience was a price worth
paying for improved performance. (See the late running stats.)
Jeremy pushed the Thameslink man appearing for the first time at a Bexley
Council meeting on the vexed issue of Rainham services not stopping at
Belvedere or Erith. We heard the usual excuses about getting trains through
junctions in London on time and a new one about platform occupancy times at
Rainham. As MoP Rebecca said, if the dwell times were not so long maybe the problem could be solved.
Councillor Stefano Borella (Labour, Slade Green), whose job keeps in central
London until late at night was especially frustrated by there being no trains
from Charing Cross in the late evening and he and theatre goers were made to
travel to Cannon Street. It makes no sense to shut Charing Cross instead of
Cannon Street when all the late night passenger traffic comes from the
West End of London, not the City of London.
He is not wrong is he?
it would be easy to suppose that trains are run for the convenience of the TOCs
with passengers a poor second. As if to confirm that, Abbey Wood will lose its
Luton Airport service.