Don't fail our rails
Jenny Clover South London Press Friday, 17 July 2009
Campaigners are stepping up the battle to save a vital rail line from South London into the centre of town. The South London Press is calling on the Government and Transport for London to back down over plans to axe the South London Line, which runs from Victoria to London Bridge through the heartland of our boroughs. We are standing side by side with residents’ groups, MPs, politicians and King’s College Hospital in Denmark Hill to demand the authorities listen to the needs of South London.
So far, medical bosses, residents, politicians and a chaplain have spoken passionately about the loss to the thousands of people who rely on the service. In today's South London Press we look at the impact on small businesses. And earlier this week our photographer joined campaigners at Peckham Rye station, talking to commuters about services.
The line is due to be axed in 2012 because there will no longer be room for it when more Thameslink trains run through London Bridge. A planned replacement service, which would have travelled from Victoria to Bellingham through many of the same stations, has also been abandoned. Transport for London and the Department for Transport said £24million set aside for the replacement over 10 years would be better spent on the East London Line extension.
To protest against the plans, email the Transport Secretary at andrew.adonis@dft.gsi.gov.uk and London Mayor Boris Johnson at mayor@london.gov.uk and sign the petition at http://tinyurl.com/SouthLondonLine
Val Shawcross is the London Assembly member for Lambeth and Southwark and deputy chairwoman of the transport committee. She said: “This campaign got off to a flying start with a highly successful launch two weeks ago. “We are determined to pull out all the stops to ensure that people do not lose vital rail connections.”