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[TJMP]

Any changes to the direct Victoria to London Bridge Link are still a long way off and are related to future works connected with the Thameslink upgrade that will take away some of the terminating platform capacity at London Bridge.

Tessa, along with Harriet Harman and Martin Linton have a meeting with the Secretary of State for Transport about this issue and the East London Line Extension through through Denmark Hill later today. It was also the subject of much discussion at the meeting on Monday.

Tessa Jowell's Office

[Eileen]

peckhamboy Wrote:

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> As far as I know, the change to Denmark Hill

> services is that there will be no London Bridge to

> Victoria train. There will still be a twice-hourly

> service between LB and Denmark Hill though - it

> just doesn't go on to Victoria. I always use ED

> for LB trains so don't know if that is a reduction

> from the current service. The DH-Victoria service

> will only be run by Southeastern, not sure if

> there's any change to that service, but guess

> there may be a reduction of 2 trains per hour due

> to the Southern service being taken away?

This is not quite right. The changes that are currently planned are:

1. December 2008 - stopping the two trains per hour between London Bridge and East Croydon. This is fixed in the new time table now out, but can be reversed in the next timetable if pressure to change it is successful. There is also the new South Central franchise which will be awarded next summer and thet will lead to serivce and timetable changes, whichmight include a reintroduction of this service.

2. 2012 - the ending of the South London Line (SLL) between London Bridge and Vcitoria via Peckham Rye and Denmark Hill. This cut would end the direct service between Denmark Hill and London Bridge, and between Queens Road and Victoria. Improvements in service to compensate for these that are promised (but not guaranteed) are 4 trains an hour all day and evening between Nunhead, Peckham Rye, Denmark Hill and Victoria.

3. The introduction of the East London Line link between Canada Water/Surrey Quays and Clapham Junction via Queens Rd, Peckham Rye and Denmark Hill. This they say will mitigate the loss of the SLL with 4 trains an hour. Funding is not yet certain for it - that should be known within weeks now. If they get the funding it should be in operation by 2012. It would be a useful new connection and complete the orbital rail around London, but it doesn't of course help at all for the LB link to/from Denmark Hill or the Queens Rd Peckham - Victoria link.

There is much more to report and clarify from the SRUG meeting on Monday. I will post the minutes when they are ready. Sorry we didnt know there was a rep from Tessa Jowell's office at the meeting!

[Hollybush]

Keeping this at the top of the list so more people will notice and add their names to protest (e.g. by emailing your MP as I have just done, as the cut of the East Croydon trains is bad news for our household). It is great to see the forum being used for SRUG posts and response from Tessa Jowell's office too.

[TJMP]

I have put a survey on my website about the changes to off-peak services from East Dulwich.

It will only take a minute to complete. You can access it by clicking here: Rail Survey

Please note that the peak service is unaffected.

Tessa Jowell MP