It's happening for one day only!

Easter Sunday will see two trains per hour operating between West Croydon and London Bridge. An additional shuttle service will operate between New Cross Gate and Crystal Palace as there will be no service in the core section over Easter.

One day only??
Easter Sunday when stores and Museums are shut..
It makes me question why???

This is the explanation:-
"Running all day on Easter Sunday (31st March), the unusual London Overground service between London Bridge and West Croydon is needed because of Network Rail engineering works, which would have meant no trains to or from London Bridge operating through the Sydenham corridor on Easter Sunday.

Although TfL can run a shuttle between New Cross and West Croydon, as people will want to get into central London, TfL decided to take up an option to run trains into London Bridge for the day so that people could get into town and home again.

So, for one day, it will be possible to catch a London Overground train from a station they would never usually be seen at.

Which I am sure will utterly thrill anyone with even the slightest bit of train geekery in them.

For the record, TfL has confirmed to me that this has nothing to do with a suggested permanent service to London Bridge, and the Easter Sunday special is only happening because of the engineering works."

I think there is more to it than that.

We have had situations with no overground trains and only Southern trains before (possibly when there have been 4 trains per hour). Easter Sunday is one of the quietest days on the network, since all shops and businesses are closed, so shy the need for such an unusual arrangement?

But it became a tiny bit clearer at the end of last year in Lewisham Council's Transport Liaison Committee, in response to a question from the Forest Hill Society rep, that TfL are considering running services to London Bridge.

Since Southern now only run trains on the Sydenham corridor from West Croydon or Victoria, all services are within the GLA and it may be appropriate to shift the service to Overground. But this will inevitably become a political decision, so don't expect any changes before a general election.

But this alternative service will help to address any concerns about a possible switch and a new TOC terminating at London Bridge on a more permanent basis. Then we just need to persuade TfL to extend Overground from London Bridge through to Kings Cross, to fill the gaps on the Thameslink services.

In the meantime, it is important to keep reminding Southern, TfL, Lewisham, etc that the half-hourly service is not appropriate for the Sydenham corridor route to London Bridge.

I think the least that will happen is that after this one-off trial is that when Southern can't call at our stations due to engineering works, then London Overground will be more in a position to take over those platform slots at London Bridge with a replacement service to West Croydon.

I'm sure if there were two more platform slots per hour on Easter Sunday, they'd use them for the Crystal Palace services as well.

While shops are closed on Easter Sunday, it's not completely dead. Restaurants and bars are open and there will always be people who want to go out for leisure. (Chinatown's restaurants do well on Christmas Day with zero public transport)

This post was last modified: 01-02-2024 08:24 PM by rbmartin.

What length will the Overground train to London Bridge be? The standard 5 or possibly 10 carriages as the platforms are normal length.

For Easter Sunday it would be surprising if they were anything bigger than 5 carriages. But if it were to be a regular service longer trains into London Bridge would make sense.

Yes they would.
The 10 carriage trains are now becoming increasingly busy at peak times.

Overground train spotted at London Bridge:
https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=921...4385692697

Southern plan to reinstate 4 trains per hour to London Bridge from 2025.

https://www.fromthemurkydepths.co.uk/202...-services/

It may be a year away but I'm delighted!

Thank you.

That's got to be H U G E for Forest Hill commuters!

Gosh, this is good news, something I have been petitioning Ellie Reeves about. It's good to see that SE23.com is still active. Is the Forest Hill Society still involved?

We are expecting the timetable change to take place in December 2024, so it isn't a whole year away.

Forest Hill Society are still very much involve in the campaign and it was a question from them that got the written response in the Transport Liaison meeting and the date of December 2024 was confirmed verbally in the meeting for both morning and rvening peak services.

Let's hope it all works out.

Do they have enough stock or plan to acquire stock as the reason for 2tph is because Southern got rid of their older Class 455 stock.

such good news,
I emailed Ellie Reeves about this on more than one occasion.
As a daily commuter to central london this will make a huge difference to me!
not least because I'm sick of getting hit in the face with backpacks on crowded overground trains and on the escalator at Canada Water interchange.
Sadly I'm short so they always get me slap in the face!

No advertising at all at Forest Hill station that the Overground is running into London Bridge on Sunday, but they've put up a notice saying they're not running into Crystal Palace with a shuttle service between NXG and West Croydon.

It's almost like they don't want it to be popular.

If they don't advertise, people may get on the wrong train!

Don't expect any feedback from the useless MP Ellie Reeves her and the local councillors are as useful as a chocolate tea set. When I have emailed them they have not responded.

Soon the elections come the better and kick them all out once and for all.

This post was last modified: 30-03-2024 02:59 PM by Herbparis.

I have actually Found Ellie Reeves and her office to be very responsive .
When I emailed regarding local issues ( cuts to Southern service bring one of them) I recieved acknowlegement and updates.