Bellenden Residents' Group (BRG)

http://www.southlondon-today.co.uk/tn/Letters.cfm?id=18696&headline=Don't

From South london Press Letters  Monday, 11 May 2009

Don't axe trains

To transport minister Andrew Adonis, South London MPs and London Mayor Boris Johnson:

I have discovered that there has been a secret deal between Transport for London and the Department for Transport to axe the planned Victoria-Bellingham rail service (via Denmark Hill and Peckham Rye stations).

As someone affected (“‘Backroom deal’ axes rail service”, South London Press, April 28), I urge you most strongly to rescind it and prevent any axeing of the service.

Reductions in services on the South London Line are already significantly affecting residents in and visitors to my area, while temporary work to improve London rail termini takes place.

The levels of train services in South-east London, including those from my station (Peckham Rye), continue to fall year on year, making it ever more difficult to travel to and from central London during the week and at weekends.

The recently agreed extension of the East London line will improve links from this area to east London and the City, but those to central London (Victoria, Charing Cross, and Blackfriars) continue to decline.

I ask the Department for Transport and the London Mayor to:

- Rescind the decision to remove the vital South London Line train service

- Extend the platform lengths at Clapham High Street and Wandsworth Road railway stations to allow the existing Dartford-Victoria services to call there

- Extend the existing SLL service beyond London Bridge to Charing Cross.

I also call for Southwark and Lambeth councils to join in lobbying the Mayor of London for the retention of the South London Line services.

Andy McAleer

Ady’s Road, Peckham Rye