For a train to go direct to charing Cross from Forest Hill it has to have the approval of South Eastern Trains (Woolwich & Lewisham line etc) because its their track. South Eastern have changed their timetable and it is not possible to slot a Forest Hill train in anymore.

As for the Victoria service closing its because the new east London line will serve the Olympics.

Michael - I'd be keen to hear further details of your claim that our council are actually supporting the cuts to our local rail services whilst we are busy campaigning against those same cuts! Seems an unlikely state of affairs, so please - give us some proof.

One another issue - One of the arguments put by the rail authorities in justifying cuts in LB services is that the ELL is going to "take the strain" - that people currently using mainline services to and from London Bridge will move to the ELL. A vital part of that argument was that the current Jubilee Line upgrade to accommodate one third more passengers would be completed long before the ELL opens.

Tonight's news, that the upgrade to the Jubilee Line will now now be completed until next autumn puts a complete spoke in that argument.

Unless there is a sudden urge for passengers to use Whitechapel when the Jubilee is closed, we all know it'll be the reduced Southern trains which will take the strain.

nasaroc,
If you don't believe me speak to anybody who attended the transport liaison committee meeting (which I did not attend).

Lewisham Council passed a unanimous motion on 24th September that they would oppose the cuts to our train services.

I attended the Lewisham Transport Liaison Meeting held on 8 September representing the Forest Hill Society. At the meeting, chaired by Cllr John Muldoon, it was announced that the Council was dropping its opposition to the cuts to our services. Apparently they had been persuaded, in response to their letters of objection, that the overall service being provided was the best available. Any improvement to our service would lead to a worsening of services overall.

The meeting called for a full explanation of this decision to be published by the Mayor which the Chairman agreed to request. If I see the explanation, I will publish it here.

It would be interesting to see the response to their letters of objection.

I didn't think we were arguing for an improvement.

Southern train drivers are striking on December 28th over Bank Holiday pay.

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/a...pay-row.do

I spoke to the boyfriend of a friend of mine last night who is in fact part of Internal Communications at London Underground. He listened to my concerns and was surprised that Joan Ruddock isn't doing more and has said that the person that should listen is Valerie Shawcross at the GLA: http://www.london.gov.uk/assembly/member...crossv.jsp He thinks that she may be easier to get a hold of than Sadiq Khan.

Tomorrow we bid a sad farewell to the through trains to Charing Cross.

A funeral procession, complete with coffin, will assemble on Platform 1, at 1 pm, at Forest Hill Station and will take the following train (back coach) to Charing Cross to mark our tragic loss.

13:09 - Sydenham
13:12 - Forest Hill
13:14 - Honor Oak Park
13:17 - Brockley
13:19 - New Cross Gate
13:26 - London Bridge

Ironically we will have to change trains at London Bridge due tp Engineering works.

13:38 - London Bridge
13:47 - Charing Cross

Everyone affected by the unfortunate occurrence will be welcome come to the to the funeral, suitably dressed of course.

Funeral directors: the Sydenham and Forest Hill Societies

In response to Foresters

I think that what was meant was that any improvement to our service over the cut services that we are expected to be getting would result in an overall worse service. ie If we get services from Charing Cross, someone else will have less service from CX. If we get 6 trains an hour to / from London Bridge throughout the day something else will have to go instead.

andrewr wrote:

But what was the basis for deciding that 'someone else' should be given a better service at our expense?

I'm absolutely gutted that tomorrow sees the last CX through service. Will try to make it to the procession, though it is a bit short notice. But with any luck, it'll be running late, as usual.

Hope to see many of you tomorrow. I will be bringing an accordion player who will play suitably sombre music.

Hooray! Our protest was on the BBC London News just now. Now onto the next protest...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TpaA5OSj1...re_twitter Footage from a passerby.

More photos on the Sydenham Forum.

Thank you to all those who supported our action at Charing Cross today. My particular thanks go to the Undertakers who donated the coffin and our resident accordion player who added such ambience to the occasion

   

   

Well done showtunes girl for organising the music and well done to Richard H for brilliant overall organisation.

Carrying a coffin round town is best fun I've had for ages. People's reactions were totally priceless especially when we took the coffin into a pub afterwards. Well, we were dying for a drink!

Also great to see Cllrs Peak and Russell taking part today. FH councillors support throughout this campaign has been consistent and resolute.

Can somebody explain why high speed trains - the Javelin - from Ashford to St Pancras stop Southern running trains from Forest Hill area to Charing Cross. This reason was given at the Higher Level meeting last week, according to the reports I've read.