Bellenden Residents' Group (BRG)

We now enjoy a fabulous service from Nunhead, Peckham Rye and Denmark Hill to Blackfriars and St Pancras, Luton/Bedford/St. Albans and beyond. This is the consequence of the reconstruction of Blackfriars station. While it is being rebuilt trains can’t terminate there and so they have to go further. These trains come from Sevenoaks. Up to Blackfriars and City Thameslink they are run by Southeastern. After that they are run by First Capital Connect. But the service is not guaranteed to remain after 2011.

 
Current train operator Southeastern have said to us “The future of these services from 2011 is dependent on the terms of the future Thameslink franchise and the specification will be set by the Department for Transport (DfT). In advance of inviting train operators to bid for the new franchise, the DfT will consult with all relevant stakeholders including rail user groups, local authorities, London TravelWatch, Passenger Focus and Transport for London.”
 
London Travel Watch tell us that it is not possible at this stage to be sure what the new service pattern will be for the new franchise.
 
This is why we now need to make it clear to all concerned how much we value this service and want it to remain. Although the train times could be improved, it is fabulous because it is our only cross river rail service and allows so many connections including from St Pancras and Kings Cross. By the time the franchise consultation happens we need to have made sure that no one is in any doubt the value it has for us. So if ever you are in conversation or correspondence with elected representatives, or rail industry agencies, about rail issues it would be worthwhile to express your satisfaction with this service. SRUG will keep on the alert for any info about the franchise consultation and publicise it, so that we can all make our views known during the franchise consultation.