michael,
Thanks for the update and setting up the petition.

What was the outcome of your meeting a while back?

"Nasaroc and I will be going to see Jim Dowd tomorrow to discuss this issue. I have also spoken to London Assemly Member Caroline Pidgeon (chair of the transport committee)."

Jim Dowd was very understanding of our concerns and undertook to speak to DfT and Southern about the situation.

The petition address is: http://nototraincuts.notlong.com

The petition reads

I'm curious... it's a Caterham train that I get back from Charing X.

Do the planned cuts only affect Brockley, Honor Oak Park, Forest Hill, and Sydenham - or are the people further along the line to Caterham going to be disadvantaged also?
In other words is there more support to be had?

Surely it's now time to start flyering stations? Does anyone know of a local print firm who would be willing to help?

A report from Thursday's meeting organised by the Sydenham Society and Sydenham Assembly can be read at: http://sydenham.org.uk/news_railway_09_09.html

Thankyou - not living in the area yet but have signed as the regular train service to central London is one of the reasons why I am hoping to move to Forest Hill or Honor Oak.

They were handing out sweets at Forest Hill station this morning, how nice.[/u]

I have now received a reply from London Travel Watch, on the removal of evening services from Charing Cross. Note the very interesting part in paragraph 3:

"... to summarise this is how the situation came about:

"1. Network Rail proposes withdrawal of services in South London RUS - but only at peak times and suggests further work on the off peak service.
2. DfT tells Southeastern that they can assume from December 2009 new timetable no Southern services will run through to Charing Cross, but including evenings and weekends.
3. Southeastern submits a timetable bid to Network Rail in compliance with DfT's instructions.
4. Network Rail then tells Southern sorry you can't have your timetable aspiration for continuing evening and weekend services to Charing Cross.
5. Consequently Southern has to withdraw from evening and Sunday services.

"The perverse part of this is that the actual number of Southeastern trains going through to Charing Cross in the evening and on Sundays is not increasing in December 2009 - they are just moving the timings of their services! Our Director, Research & Development asked DfT whether they would object to Southern proposing to run to Charing Cross on a commercial basis and they said no and passed the problem on to Network Rail.

"I would suggest therefore that ultimately the DfT is the responsible decision maker and in this instance you might wish to contact them. Here are their contact details:

Department for Transport, Great Minster House, 76 Mintern Street, London, SW1P 4DR, tel 020 7944 8300"

I am not quite sure what to make of all this, but first thoughts are that there are so many parties involved here that our direct service seems to have fallen into the cracks between them all. I am no longer sure if there is any justification for removing the service to Charing Cross. This certainly does not tally with what Southern said at the meeting on the 17th.

I will certainly be writing to DfT and also asking Joan Ruddock to do the same. I will also write to Southern again to ask for their comment on this.

The petition now has over 500 signatures in just 4 days!
http://nototraincuts.notlong.com

There is a motion going to full council on Thursday evening (24th September - 7:30pm), see details at http://www.lewisham.gov.uk/councilanddem...202009.htm
This motion, proposed by Brockely councillor Dean Walton, opposes cuts to rail services on our line and I hope it will get cross party support.

I am told that a good turn out in the public gallery will get it discussed early on the agenda and will make sure that the council take this issue more seriously.

Please attend this meeting if you can.

The motion doesn't seem to mention the planned axing of our direct Charing Cross service..?

Tune in to LBC tomorrow morning at 7:45am for the Nick Ferrari and Barry Milton show!

BBC Online report on cuts to rail services
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/8268471.stm

Surely the new high speed service from Ashford will be using the Eurostar track into St Pancras? I fail to see how this will affect services to London Bridge and Charing Cross

What dreadful reporting from the BBC.
Take a look at the caption under the picture and read the half-baked copy.

I find it hard to believe that I used the word 'hellish' on the phone to the reporter. It is not a word I can ever recall using and I might reserve it for slightly worse situations than an overcrowded train.

However, all publicity is good publicity and another 100 people have signed [url= http://nototraincuts.notlong.com]the petition[/url] today, taking us over 600. If you haven't signed yet please consider it, and help us get as many votes as possible before the council meeting on Thursday evening.

http://nototraincuts.notlong.com

If you have signed already please ask other members of your family and your friends who use peak, off-peak, evening, and weekend services to help us fight these cuts. It is only with your support that we have any chance of getting the railway authorities to change their plans.

Called up to speak on LBC this morning but then "stood down", I'm afraid! (see Michael's posting above).

Talk about climate change and Baroness Scotland went on for far too long to get on to rail travel. Pity - because the guest on the show was Kulveer Ranger, Director of Transport Policy for the Mayor. And Boris stood on a policy of better transport links for outer London and areas away from LU.

Please sign the petition

http://www.gopetition.com/online/30683.html

Can I try to get some clarification on a couple of things if anyone knows for sure (I seem to have some contradictory information):

- What is happening with the LBG-VIC loop line (I have heard both that this is to be axed and that it is to expand to include the morning peak)?

- Does the planned axing of the CHX direct evening service only affect Brockley, Honor Oak Park, Forest Hill, and Sydenham as stated in the petition? It looks to me as though it affects stations through to Caterham and, if so, is there any campaign support coming from beyond Sydenham?

- Will the Charing Cross situation be discussed at the council meeting on Thursday - as it's not mentioned in Dean Walton's motion.

- LBG-VIC loop line
This will be extended to morning peak. Other services to Victoria (South London Loop via Peckham) will be axed and there will not be the Bellingham to Victoria service that had previously been planned.

- Effect on Caterham
As I understand it Caterham will not get direct trains from Charing Cross. But they wil get faster emptier trains from London Bridge as they will not allow us on these fast trains.

- Will the Charing Cross situation be discussed at the council meeting on Thursday - as it's not mentioned in Dean Walton's motion.
Yes. I believe that an amendment is likely to be proposed to include the loss of the evening services.

Speaking of the planned (but now axed) 4-trains-per-hour Bellingham to Victoria service, there is a campaign to save that one as well. Cllr Pete Pattisson has started a petition which is here: http://www.ourcampaign.org.uk/phantomtrain

It's a bit peripheral to us in SE23, passing through Catford and Crofton Park, but it is interesting to see that other local rail lines are having their own problems. I have occasionally used this line to go to Blackfriars, but found the half-hourly frequency of the service frustrating after being used to our 6-8 trains per hour. Although this line does now run through to St Pancras and Luton Airport, which is useful.