Southwark Rail Users Group News
Welcome. SRUG covers routes and stations serving Peckham Rye, Nunhead, South Bermondsey, Queens Road, Denmark Hill, East Dulwich, North Dulwich. See diagram. News items in date order below. See right hand column for topics.
Click here for info on campaigns to improve services, or click here for the SRUG homepage.
£7m to build Tube station rejected
Sun, 03/05/2009 - 00:24 — eileenTfL turns down £7m from Government to build a new station at Surrey Canal Road near Millwall football ground. This would be the station between Surrey Quays on the East London Line Main Extension (ELLX) and Queens Road Peckham on the second phase of the ELLX to Clapham Junction. TfL say they need to do more studies to see the overall cost, as it is likely to be more than £7m. But DfT (Transport Department) have said the money wil still be there if TfL apply for it. Read more here and here...
Save the South London Line!
Fri, 01/05/2009 - 00:15 — eileenLatest news:
- TfL (Transport for London) have engineered with DfT (Dept. for Transport) the scrapping of the planned Victoria-Bellingham service
- this was done in secret without discussion with anyone else
- more information can be seen in the posting below
- a joint campaign with all stakeholders across Southwark & Lambeth is coming together and will be issuing information and advice on useful actions next week. The campaign includes SRUG, Clapham Transport Users Group, Camberwell Society, Kings College & the Maudesley (SLAM) hospitals, and local elected representatives.
- to join the campaign email SRUG@bellenden.net
'Rail line lost to plug gap'
Thu, 30/04/2009 - 09:04 — eileen'Rail line lost to plug gap' - Southwark News reports on the news of the axing of Victoria-Bellingham service.
'Backroom deal' axes rail service
Tue, 28/04/2009 - 09:04 — eileen'Backroom deal' axes rail service - South London Press reports the news of the secret deal between TfL and Department of Transport to axe Victoria - Bellingham Line
Victoria rail link traded for East London Line cash
Thu, 23/04/2009 - 16:00 — eileenFunding for phase two of the East London Line extension was agreed under a secret deal in which Transport for London specified a reduction in National Rail train services, newly published letters from TfL and the Department for Transport reveal.
Correspondence earlier this month between TfL's managing director of London Rail Ian Brown, the DfT's director general of national networks Mike Mitchell and Sharon Grant, chair of passenger watchdog London Travelwatch, shows that a £75m funding package to allow phase two of the East London Line project to be completed in time for the 2012 Olympics was only agreed after TfL requested a reduction in planned National Rail services from Victoria station.
Read moreservices to Victoria under threat
Tue, 21/04/2009 - 14:08 — eileenRail users from Peckham Rye and Denmark Hill currently have 4 trains per hour (tph) to Victoria. They are not well spaced and two stop in the evening. From 2012 we were promised that 4tph would continue but would be at regular 15 minute intervals and continue for a full evening service. This was to compensate in part for the lost direct link between Victoria and London Bridge scheduled for 2012. The new 4tph service to Victoria was to be achieved by a new 2tph service between Victoria and Bellingham through Nunhead, added to the existing Dartford to Victoria serivce through Nunhead but extended to cover the evening as well.
Read moreSouth Central Franchise update
Fri, 06/02/2009 - 15:30 — adminThe Government decides which Train Operating Companies (TOCs) will operate the franchise for services in particular parts of the country, and has selected 4 TOCs to bid for the new South Central Franchise which will run from 2009 to 2015. These are Ned Railways, National Express, Stagecoach Rail, and Govia - the owner of Southern Rail, the current operator. The services are all those which run through Peckham Rye to London Bridge. This is the time to try to influence what these companies put in their bids to try to get the franchise. They are all keen to hear from local rail users about their travel needs and their views on the services. This is an opportunity not to miss if you are a rail user. Go online to get more info and give your views asap (18 Feb deadline).
Read morePeckham Rye Station update
Fri, 06/02/2009 - 15:30 — adminSouthern Rail have in the last few months started some repair and improvement works, and the station has at last been included in the Government's NSIP (National Station Improvement Work) for more substantial improvements. We have managed to make contact with the rail company managers of the programme to try to influence the quality of the work so it enhances its historic architecture rather than ruins it, and to create the beginning of a channel to the decision makers for users' views on what changes are needed for station users.
East London Line Extension phase 2 (ELLX2) update
Fri, 06/02/2009 - 15:29 — adminThis service would bring TfL-run overground trains from Canada Water (interchange with Jubilee Line) to Clapham Junction via Queens Rd, Peckham Rye, Denmark Hill. There has been continuous wrangling between Mayor Boris Johnson and the Department of Transport on the last £30m of the £100m funding. These wrangles continue now with the Dept of Transport saying they will not pay their share unless TfL finds more money to build a new station at Surrey Canal Road in South Bermondsey. Decisions have to be made very soon if the extension can be built in time for 2012 the planned date.
Read moreSouth London Line (SLL) Victoria - London Bridge via Peckham Rye update
Fri, 06/02/2009 - 15:28 — adminThe rail industry still plan to stop the all day and evening 2tph service on the SLL, in 2012. It would cut the direct link between Denmark Hill and London Bridge, the direct link between Queens Rd and Victoria, and reduce the trains to London Bridge from Peckham Rye by two an hour. A major reason given for cutting the SLL is that there will not be enough terminating platforms space at London Bridge station after the rebuilding which is due to start in 2012. We discovered that it is in fact possible to increase the platform space to accommodate the SLL trains, and had this confirmed by Network Rail at the SRUG meeting.
Read more