Southwark Council and TFL

[Earl Aelfheah]

Are there any joint initiatives going on between Southwark Council and TFL to improve transport in the south of the borough? Cycle hire schemes, new cycleways, imporvements to public transport?

[wulfhound]

On the cycling side, a few rumours and proposals but nothing concrete. The Dockless operators tend to wind down over the winter, likely we'll see them trying again in the spring but things move so fast in that world it's hard to say who/what/where (my money's on Uber Jump though).

Public-transport wise - increased frequency on the Overground. Looks like from 8 to 10 trains per hour on the Forest Hill branch and from 4 to 6 on the Denmark Hill branch, for a grand total of 20 an hour through the middle (including the New Cross branch). Might be a while though - the Overground's timetable has to be fitted around National Rail, which makes it a more complex exercise than it might seem.

https://www.ianvisits.co.uk/blog/2019/08/17/more-frequent-trains-and-a-new-station-for-the-london-overground

And the Bakerloo extension (if/when it happens - a long way off, this one), although it won't benefit us directly and somewhat duplicates the Jubilee extension, it will provide another set of connections in to town. Should be less crowded from New Cross Gate than the Jubilee is from Canada Water.

I've heard nothing at all on buses. Sadiq "son of a bus driver" Khan could have done so much more here in terms of increasing frequencies and filling in gaps in coverage, but it seems like the fares freeze & withdrawal of central Government funding has left TfL too short on cash to do very much.