Bellenden Residents' Group (BRG)

SLP 9th October 2009 - web report

Sidiq Khan to Boris Johnson 5th 0ctober 2009 - Minister's letter

London Mayor Boris Jiohnson has been slammed by a Government Minister for making "misleading and factually inaccurate" comments.. Read more ...

Southwark News 8th October 2009

1. The 'News' put questions from campaigner John Stewart to Ian Brown TfL Rail chief:

"Why was the Bellingham line dropped?" and several more questions. Read more'...

2. Campaign hopeful after meeting

.. A public meeting has fuelled belief amongst campaigners that the South London Line could still be saved."  Read more ...

Southwark News 8th October 2009 carried an interview with Ian Brown The Head of London Overground at TfL about TfL plans to cut the South London Line (SLL) and the Victoria-Bellingham partial substitute.

Southwark News said: "It may come as a shock to those campaigning to Save the South London Line, but TfL claims its plans [to cut the SLL] will actually preserve the route... "  

Read interview here...  and Ian Brown's answers to SLL campaign's questions here

Southwark News 8 October 2009

Ian Brown stated that the proposed extension of tube services was part of TfL plans but that they were a long way off fruition.

He said "we are keen on those [plans] , but it would be irresponsible to say it would solve anything to the SLL time scale..."  Read more

We held a historic and very successful Public Meeting on Wed 30th Sep 6.30pm for 7pm-9pm at Institute of Psychiatry, 16 De Crespigny Park, Camberwell. Over 200 rail users came and saw [click here to see]: a SRUG overview on the role of the SLL in south London's rail system, and heard from a panel of three rail users covering all the stations what the issues are. Then there was a rail industry panel with speakers from Network Rail, TfL and London TravelWatch, who faced over an hour of questions and comments.

read South London Press report   read Southwark News report

South London Press 2nd October 2009  Jenny Clover

Tempers fray during public meeting into train line axe

South London Press 2nd October 2009  Jenny Clover

tube map 2012 with South London Line  - Tube map created by SRUG

South London Press 2nd October 2009  Jenny Clover

Rail chief: I'll compensate for lost service... but I won't bring it back

 The public meeting on 30th September 2009 was a historic event. see copy of agenda. Over 200 rail users turned up to the Institute of Psychiatry, at 16 De Crespigny Park, near Denmark Hill, to hear rail user campaigners explain the devastating impact of the cuts in direct rail services to central London, planned by the rail industry, and to hear how TfL and Network Rail explained the reasoning behind these plans. Further reports on the meeting will be posted later.

Key information given to the meeting by SRUG was:

• a Tube map showing the way TfL sees our rail services - with Queens Road, Peckham Rye and Denmark Hill totally disconnected from central London, but the new East London Line Extension taking us to Canada Water and Clapham Junction;
• a Tube map showing the South London Line on the map and as a key part of the integrated Zones 1 & 2 south London transport infrastructure.
• a comparison of the two maps - showing them side by side
• summary of the impact of the planned cuts station by station;
• summary of key actions to take to support the campaign.

<http://londonreconnections.blogspot.com/2009/09/mayors-question-time-0909-overground.html> scroll down to see this exchange on 9th September Mayor's Questions:

Question to Mayor from Richard Tracey: "I believe there is cross-party support at City Hall for the Department for Transport to introduce the Victoria to Bellingham Line. Does the Mayor have any advice on how Assembly Members can play a constructive part in trying to persuade the DfT to reverse their decision and introduce this line?"