Protests against Thameslink service changes (From Your Local Guardian)

Protests against Thameslink service changes

6:36pm Monday 13th October 2008 in

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Labour’s parliamentary candidate for Streatham, Chuka Umunna, is calling on residents to join the fight against plans to axe direct Thameslink services from Streatham to key central London stations.

Network Rail intend to terminate all trains from Streatham and other stations on the “Wimbledon Loop” section of Thameslink at Blackfriars from 2015.

This would mean Streatham, without easily accessible Tube links, would lose a valuable direct link to St Pancras - with its Eurostar and other cross-country links - and Farringdon - which will be on the new Crossrail service.

Passengers travelling from Streatham would have to change at Blackfriars to complete the journey.

"We want Streatham to be better connected, not cut off from the rail map of the future.”

Chuka Umunna

Network Rail say the move is unavoidable as the redevelopment of Blackfriars station to accommodate a new service of up to 24 trains per hour through to St Pancras could not go ahead if through trains from the Wimbledon loop were kept.

A Network Rail spokesman said the service would ultimately improve for Streatham residents because the number of trains travelling to Blackfriars will double to four an hour, and the service from Blackfriars to St Pancras would run at one train every two-and-a-half minutes.

But Mr Umunna said changing trains would be very disruptive for residents, and passengers have not been consulted at all on how the service change will affect them.

He also said Network Rail not wanting to invest in Streatham station to accommodate new 12 carriage trains had contributed to the decision to scrap the through link, clearly making Streatham station in “the second league” of importance to the rail company.

He added: “The proposals are completely unacceptable. Thameslink provides the only direct route for rail users in Streatham to destinations north of the river and now this is being taken from us. We want Streatham to be better connected, not cut off from the rail map of the future.”

Network Rail says a consultation was provided through rail user groups.

To lodge your concerns about the proposal with Mr Umunna and for updates email thameslink@streathamlabour.org.uk.

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