in short:
- Thameslink summer holiday train cuts through Greenwich will go ahead from July 18, despite protests from MPs and councils
- The same cuts could also be made in October half-term, the company has said
- The cuts coincide with a closure of Charing Cross between July 26 and August 16
- Thameslink has downplayed an email suggesting Southeastern staff did not know about this summer's cuts
This summer’s timetable cuts to Greenwich line train services could be repeated in October, Thameslink has warned, as passengers prepare for a reduced service to and from central London at the height of the tourist season.
Thameslink trains through Greenwich will be cut to hourly off-peak and on Saturdays from July 18 to August 29 to save money, in one of the first changes since Greater Thameslink Railway, which runs the service, was nationalised on May 31.
The cuts to Luton-Rainham services will leave 30-minute gaps between trains on the busy Greenwich line and come at the peak of the area’s tourist season. They will also hit journeys into Kent and towards the coast, as Thameslink provides the only regular direct service from Greenwich and Woolwich beyond Dartford.
Charlton Athletic’s first two home matches of the season, against Derby County and Preston North End on August 15 and 29, will also be affected. Fans of both clubs travelling into St Pancras and Euston will have to contend with the reduced direct service to Charlton.
Southeastern Metro services will run a near-normal service, but the Thameslink cuts will coincide with a three-week closure of Charing Cross and Waterloo East stations that will mean some rush-hour trains are diverted away from Greenwich or cancelled.
Thameslink cuts: the details
- Reduced service through Greenwich between July 18 and August 29
- To Blackfriars and Farringdon
Weekdays: half-hourly approx 0530-0900, 1800-2300; hourly 0900-1800
Saturdays: hourly all day - To Dartford, Gravesend and Rainham
Weekdays: Hourly approx 0600-1600, half-hourly 1600-2330
Saturday: Hourly all day
Southeastern is running return trips to the coast – check timetables for further details - Sundays in both directions: normal Thameslink service on July 19 and August 9 (no Thameslink trains on July 26, August 2, 16 and 23).
- Other services to East Croydon, Gatwick and Brighton also affected
- Southeastern Metro running broadly as normal, but with some rush-hour changes during the Charing Cross closure
- Check your train times at National Rail
Thameslink has said the cuts are needed because of a drop in demand during the school holidays. Early timetables being uploaded to Real Time Trains, a website that carries live timetables and punctuality data, indicate that the same cuts may also be implemented between October 24-30 – during the half-term holidays, and potentially affecting the Addicks’ home match with Norwich City.
Cuts could also come at other holiday periods, including Christmas and beyond.
A spokesperson told The Greenwich Wire: “Subject to a review of how the trains are used over the summer, and the passenger feedback we receive, we will be looking to continue this approach during future school holiday periods, the next of which is the 26-30 October half term.”
Thameslink is going ahead with the summer cuts despite protests from Greenwich and Bexley councils and MPs along the route. Matt Pennycook, the Greenwich & Woolwich MP, took his complaint to Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill, the rail minister and former TfL chief who 11 years ago apologised for calling SE London’s train services “shit” and “awful”.
The company’s bosses played down the emergence of an email which suggested that their colleagues at Southeastern were taken by surprise when the summer holiday cuts emerged.
News of the cutbacks first emerged in May when they were posted to a respected rail industry forum. But an email obtained under freedom of information laws by a member of the public suggested that some Southeastern staff were in the dark a few days before.
A timetable developer at Southeastern wrote to a colleague at the company: “We have just had a look through Real Time Trains for the CHX [Charing Cross] closure and it appears that GTR are running the Rainham services as hourly for the majority of the day … is this something that you are/were aware of as it has come as a surprise to us.”
The recipient of the email forwarded the question to their counterpart at GTR: “Any idea what this reduction of Rainhams is about during the 20/7 to 28/8 period?”
The head of train planning at GTR responded: “Yep – demand-led school holiday reduction timetable. I thought we’d had some correspondence with your team about it coinciding … but will check.”
Thameslink said there had been “previous discussions” between the two companies about the service reductions before the email was sent.
A spokesperson said: “From July 18 to August 29 we are temporarily adjusting our timetable to reflect a fall of up to 20 per cent in summer holiday demand. The changes across the wider network affect just 2 per cent of our normal services, focusing on quieter trains where alternative services are available.
“This reduces the taxpayer subsidy and generates savings that can be reinvested to improve services year-round.
“We have met with councils and offered meetings to MPs. At the councils we explained our position and there is an understanding of why the temporary changes are being made during school holidays.
“These temporary changes build on the approach taken elsewhere on the network in previous school holidays, when we see similar changes in demand and fewer people travelling.”
Charing Cross closure: the details
- No trains to Charing Cross or Waterloo East from July 26 to August 16
- Trains diverted to Victoria, Cannon Street, Blackfriars or will terminate at London Bridge
- Some Sidcup and Bexleyheath line trains will not run but there will be extra trains in the morning rush hour
- Some Greenwich line rush-hour trains will be cancelled or diverted via Blackheath
- Full details on the Southeastern website
Southeastern’s chief operating officer, David Davidson, told The Greenwich Wire that it had taken into account the Thameslink cuts when planning for the closure of Charing Cross and Waterloo East: “We’ve undertaken extensive modelling and planning to ensure there is sufficient capacity across our network, including taking account of changes to services operated by other train companies.
“The work has been scheduled during the school holidays, when fewer people travel, and customers will continue to have access to alternative Southeastern services throughout the closure.
“By bringing track and train together under an integrated railway, work that could previously have required up to 120 days, will be completed in just 22 days. That means less disruption for customers, while delivering a more reliable railway for the future.”
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