Summer might be peak tourist season for Greenwich – but it will be harder to get there during the school holidays because of temporary cuts to rail services in the area.
Greenwich Council has written to Thameslink asking it to reconsider plans to cut trains between July 20 and August 29 as part of a cost-cutting measure.
The Thameslink franchise will be renationalised on Sunday, meaning that one of the Labour government’s first acts in charge will be to slash services on the Luton to Rainham route for six weeks.
At present, Deptford, Greenwich, Maze Hill and Westcombe Park stations are served by two Southeastern trains per hour, usually between Cannon Street and Slade Green, and two Thameslink trains, usually between Luton and Rainham.
Thameslink plans to withdraw one of these trains for much of the day and all day on Saturdays, leaving half-hour gaps between trains. The company says that rush-hour trains will not be affected.
No details have yet been confirmed, but a list published on a well-respected rail forum in the early hours of Sunday morning, which is where the news broke, claimed that ten trains serving Greenwich in each direction would be scrapped on weekdays, and 17 on Saturdays. Other trains serving Croydon, Gatwick Airport and Brighton will also be cut, according to the list.
The service reductions will coincide with a 22-day closure of Charing Cross and Waterloo East for track works, adding to the inconvenience for passengers from SE London. They will also affect the start of the football season, with many Charlton fans relying on the Thameslink services from Kent.
Users of the Greenwich and Woolwich line trying to reach Rochester, Chatham or the Kent coast will be particularly badly affected. Thameslink provides the only link from the Dartford lines to the Medway Towns, and its trains connect with Southeastern’s services to Whitstable and Margate.
The cuts come as the government is trying to encourage families to visit leisure attractions this summer.
A spokesperson for Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR), which is running the service until Saturday, told The Greenwich Wire: “Demand for our services falls by as much as 20 per cent in the summer holidays so we are adjusting our timetable temporarily to reflect that change.
“We understand there may be concerns, however there are alternative services on the route with trains also operated by Southeastern.
“The temporary adjustment reduces how much taxpayers pay to subsidise the service and generates savings that can be reinvested to support and improve services throughout the year. “
Both Greenwich Council and Visit Greenwich, the borough’s tourism agency, said they had not been made aware of the plans. Reducing car journeys has long been one of the council’s ambitions.
Calum O’Byrne Mulligan, the cabinet member for climate action, sustainability and transport, said: “A reliable and regular rail service is vital for residents right across Greenwich, and so any reduction in services – even if just for a period of time – through any part of our borough would be very disappointing.
“These routes are important not only for visitors to places like Greenwich Town Centre, one of London’s busiest tourist destinations, but also for residents travelling down to Kent and the coast without relying on cars.
“I did not receive a formal notification of the timetable changes, and we have sought clarification from Thameslink, urging them to reconsider any potential timetable changes during the school holidays and busiest tourism season.”
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