Some relief could be on the way for long-suffering rail passengers through Greenwich and Woolwich after Southeastern’s boss indicated trains will be better-spaced in the timetable from next summer.
The Conservative government cut Southeastern Metro services a year ago, with most stations now having four trains per hour compared with the six they had before the pandemic.
Southeastern was taken back into public hands in September 2021 and is now under the control of the Department for Transport.
Among the worst-hit services were those on the Greenwich and Woolwich line, where passengers – including those changing from the Elizabeth Line at Abbey Wood – face waits of up to 20 minutes on weekdays for services to Kent.
On Sundays, passengers at Greenwich have to endure 24-minute gaps between trains to central London.
While the Tory cuts seem unlikely to be reversed during this government, Steve White, the managing director of Southeastern, said on social media yesterday that changes would be made next summer to even out services.
“We are making some changes to our metro services next June to better space our trains particularly on the Woolwich and Greenwich line. We will communicate nearer the time,” he said.
Very few changes are being made in this December’s timetable change, with Southeastern promising only a single extra “rounder” train linking Greenwich and Sidcup – a service that ran all day, six days a week until last year – as well as an extra Sidcup line train.
The loss of the regular “rounder” trains has had consequences across the area, with Charlton Athletic fans saying that the loss of the service means they need to drive to matches at The Valley – but are now facing increased parking restrictions in the streets around the stadium. White has said the service would cost £5 million to bring back.
Albany Park station, between Sidcup and Bexley, will have four trains per hour from June after being cut to just two last year. In a pattern that has now become common for Southeastern, the news was announced first by Louie French, the local Tory MP.
Last month the government reversed plans to close ticket offices across the country. White had said earlier this year that the company had not filled vacancies at its stations in anticipation of the cuts; Southeastern has not responded to a request for comment on whether it would start to recruit so ticket offices can be reopened.
A petition by this website to have Southeastern Metro’s services transferred to Transport for London, which has not cut the level of its equivalent London Overground services, received 5,900 signatures before closing in August.
While the move has cross-party support in Greenwich and at City Hall, the government has refused to devolve local rail services in London to the capital’s elected administration. Labour has so far been silent on its plans.
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