Denmark Hill to London Bridge Closure

[Alan Dale]

http://www.camberwellonline.co.uk

Follow the links on Camberwell Online for the details of a proposed end to the DH LB service.

There is an online petition and there will be opportunities to sign a petition at Denny Hill next week.

Loss of this service would be a disaster for the wider area.

Please support the campaign to prevent its closure.

[peckhamboy]

Would this mean they can have more services from ED? If so, where's the petition in favour?

[Alan Dale]

No. It would mean that we'd be piling down the hill to get on your trains though...

[snorky]

bad news - get writing to your MPs people!

[peckhamboy]

Takes too long - why don't we just barricade Dog Kennel Hill with bugaboos so the Camberwellians can't get to the station?

[mockney piers]

Didn't we have another thread on this that had a couple of answers (ie it's not necessarily planned to be permanent or something)

My blood sugar is plummeting and I'm going a bit odd, so can't be bothered to look until I've had some food

[Alan Dale]

Because Peckhamboy that would cut off ED's buses and remove their link to the West End.

Please sign the petition for all of our sakes...

[snorky]

BUT WHAT WILL IT DO TO HOUSE PRICES ? WHAT WILL IT DO TO OUR EQUITY ????????????

[Alan Dale]

Exactly my concern.

[LostThePlot]

Alan,

Even though my commute involves walking upstairs to my office, I can assure you this will have my full support. Can't let this sort of thing affect those who actually need the service to get to and from work.

Eric

[Alan Dale]

Thanks Eric.

[Jeremy]

Is this part of the government's latest scheme to get people out of their cars and onto public transport?!

[Siduhe]

There's more info here on a previous thread by Eileen. One thing I read yesterday is that the East London Spur line (phase 2 of the extension, which would link Denmark Hill to Clapham) is also unlikely to proceed now that Crossrail has been approved, because there isn't enough money to pay for both. Not good, if true.

http://www.eastdulwichforum.co.uk/forum/read.php?5,49620,49620#msg-49620

[katgod]

East Dulwichites beware - the reason some of your journeys are more pleasant is because lots of Peckham Rye users are able to get on the soon to be axed DH loop trains, and so are not trying to ram into the ED train with you. Seems to me that without those DH loop line yrains Prye will becoame a no go area, it is really tough trying to get on the trains that come via ED as it is, but without the DH loop trains it will be even worse for everyone whether Edites squashed by the Ryers or Ryers who can't get on.

And if you only just miss a bus at LB at night - by say a minute or two it is generally quicker to get the 40 from outside LB or any bus to Elephant and change than to wait and get the next train.

[peckhamboy]

true, but if you miss it by more than 5 minutes, it's normally quicker to wait because the buses are so infrequent and take so long to get down the walworth road

[Quaywe]

Full credit here must go to Cllr Fiona Colley for leading this campaign, however I couldn't see an online petition on her blog so I've created one myself for all to sign. I'll send all details to Fiona and Network Rail on 26 October.

Click here to sign the petition!

Closing date for comments: 26 October 2007

Regards

EDKiwi

PS - Admin any chance of 'promoting' the post for a few days so we get maximum visibility? Thanks.

[Alan Dale]

Thanks. That's really great.

[Susan]

The key place to target with this petition is King's College Hospital, this will have a hugh effect on staff, patients, visitors and students.

[Maurice]

A few points.

Most campaigns sponsored by Ms Conn tend to be filled with skewed information and she's not terribly willing to hear otherwise. I simply advise those to be careful that the whole noise isn't based on half the story.

Second, you must remember being 'urban' (particularly Camberwell) means trains aren't considered necessary transport. They are more for suburban users travelling long distances into urban London. Tfl sees urban areas sufficiently served by buses. That's the plan for Camberwell and to a degree, East Dulwich.

I'm not supporting the plans and may even sign the petition. Just be careful.

[Alan Dale]

I am going to throw my piss sodden chips in the bin and start again.

I don't care about arbitrary assignment of urban/suburban status. I do care about the train service.

Please don't bring party politics and political rivalries into this. Please do support the retention of the Denmark Hill - London Bridge service.

[Maurice]

So Alan, London Bridge is oversubscribed. Only six tracks and they can't do more without destroying a lot of old buildings.

So they have to prioritise. Somebody can't get in.

Do we tell the people of Kent and suburbia they have to add to their hour long journey - or the people of Camberwell they have to take a bus that takes all of 25 minutes?

Hell you can even walk to London Bridge from Camberwell. Cycling takes 10 minutes.

Kent doesn't have that luxury.

It's a real issue and the same NIMBY thinking. You want to keep your service, you have to take it away from those much farther out.

[Alan Dale]

The people of Kent can fight for extended services. The people of Camberwell, Peckham and East Dulwich can fight to retain their current services.

If you want to get into Nimbyism then maybe we can trade our mental hospital and homeless drop in centres for reduced access to London Bridge.

We certainly shouldn't give it up for nothing. As you have already noted we have lots of problems in this area. Reduced transport links would add to them.

[Maurice]

Good luck. In four hours you've spread it across multiple websites and off to a good start with 21 signatures. Hope you win the fight.

[Alan Dale]

Thanks Mo.

[ladyruskin]

"Do we tell the people of Kent and suburbia they have to add to their hour long journey - or the people of Camberwell they have to take a bus that takes all of 25 minutes?"

Have you ever actually got a bus along the Walworth Road at 8 in the morning? 25 mins is a total fantasy! And I am alone in not relishing a walk home from London Bridge on a dark, cold, rainy winter's evening via E&C? (?)

Perhaps in this day and age the GLA should look to promoting establishing offices outside of Central London so that the poor souls from Kent didn't have to trek so far - Citibank have offices in Lewisham for instance IIRC, thus negating the need for any Kentites to access LB at all.