Planned closure of South London Line (Victoria - London Bridge via Denmark Hill)

[Sporthuntor]

Hi everyone

This may be elsewhere on the forum but just in case it isn't, have a look at this petition to prevent the planned closure of the South London Line which runs from Victoria to London Bridge via Denmark Hill and Peckham Rye.

http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/save-our-south-london-line/sign.html

Basically it's a crap plan, tons of people use this line to get into town, and it's a really important link to King's College Hospital and the Maudsley.

If we don't get involved it will be gone before you know it, and it will be back to a long old schlep on the dirty buses!

[charliecharlie]

http://www.eastdulwichforum.co.uk/forum/read.php?5,267768,267785#msg-267785

here's a useful link to this ongoing issue with lots of relevant links

[Sporthuntor]

Cheers Charlie, figured there would be more about it somewhere, glad to get the topic back on the agenda tho'

[Eileen]

Sporthuntor Wrote:

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> Cheers Charlie, figured there would be more about

> it somewhere, glad to get the topic back on the

> agenda tho'

yes it is very good to get this topic up again. A lot is happening and hope to be able to report in more detail soon. But in the meantime, there are fliers to distribute and petitions to collect signatures on (already have about 500 hard copy and 500 on-line, but need thousands more). We hope all rail users who want to protect our rail services will take part while they are using the trains! We have produced some A6 pocket size fliers to download, print and carry to give out, when travelling, to fellow rail users waiting for and travelling on the very train that is threatened with closure, ie the Victoria-London Bridge via Denmark Hill, Peckham Rye, Queens Road Peckham.

See here to download the fliers and the petition

[Eileen]

Here is the latest news hot off the presses: You are invited to a rally at Denmark Hill station this coming FRIDAY 26th JUNE at MIDDAY. It is the official launch of the campaign to save the South London Line train services to London Bridge and Victoria. The two local MPs Harriet Harman and Tessa Jowell will be there leading the Rally. Lots of media will be present, so do please come and give your support if you are around at that time. Come and get to know other fellow campaigners!

ACTION TO COLLECT SIGNATURES & GIVE OUT FLYERS

We hope it will gear up the campaign to the next level. Already there are over 1000 signatures on the petition. But we need thousands more. So we need you to spread the word to fellow rail users, and to carry the petition with you to get signatures.

See here for petition and flyers to print out to take with you on your travels... http://www.peckhamvision.org/brg/srug/news

LATEST NEWS

A lot has been happening and we will do a round up of news soon. In the meantime we have successfully put pressure on TfL and they now say they will do a review of south London rail services in the next few months. That is just the start of getting this decision to cut services reversed.

See here for summary about the campaign: http://www.peckhamvision.org/brg/rail-cuts

[anonymous_third_part]

does this matter though?

when the east london line is extended a lot of people will go to Canary Wharf etc that way?

Less people will use it.

[R&A]

I thought we hadn't had final say on east london line extension (at least the peckham branch) so i guess it does really matter

Chances are they don't do the ELLE and we are left with nothing

there are hardly any routes that go ACROSS london, most go into london.

This route is vital for many travellers. It's a shame that the protest is on during the day as surely most the people who use that line (commuting to work) are at work?

Eileen - thanks for keeping us informed. If there are any 'out of work hours' protests please post up on the forum and we will definitley attend.

thanks

[Jeremy]

R&A Wrote:

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> I thought we hadn't had final say on east london

> line extension (at least the peckham branch) so i

> guess it does really matter

Exactly - it is far from a foregone conclusion.

Also The East London Line extension (AKA London Overgound) goes a very different route to the existing train line, so it seems a bit odd to cite it as a direct replacement. For my money, a direct route to Victoria and London Bridge is a lot more useful than links to Clapham Junction, Canada Water, and Shoreditch.

Perhaps it may be useful for those poor individuals who travel to Canary Wharf, but it's only a slight improvement over going via London Bridge. And I think you'll find that trying to get on an eastbound Jubilee Line tube at Canada Water at peak time is far from easy!

[Eileen]

Yes it all does matter. Of course it makes really good sense to put the last piece of the orbital east-west link in place between Surrey Quays and Clapham Junction, with the East London Line Extension 2 (ELLX2). The good news is that it IS really going to happen; the construction work will seamlessly fit in with the completion of the construction of the ELLX1 via New Cross to Croydon. That will open in 2010, and the ELLX2 via Peckham Rye to Clapham Junction will open in 2012.

What is wrong with this? It is just that TfL decided, with Department for Transport, that that was more important than our links into London Bridge and Victoria and they could be cut to pay the last bit of the money needed for the ELLX2. This was apparently ?24m over 10 years. That is ?2.4m a year. What is that in the billions on London's transport infrastructure each year? It is almost rounding up book-keeping. That is the decision that needs to be reversed. This campaign aims to achieve that and to make it so clear at last that we here in inner SE London will not stand for our direct rail links to central London being cut. If anything, they need to be improved and we will work for that each year as well. London needs both the good direct rail links from inner SE London into central London AND the orbital link completed. London can afford both, but we will only get them if we all stand up to be counted, and make our collective voice heard at last.

The launch rally is being held at Denmark Hill station on FRIDAY 26 JUNE MIDDAY as that was when both local MPs Tessa Jowell and Harriet Harman could be here together locally, and draw the media to help get the campaign heard loudly. There are plans to have other media attractive events at several of the stations. These might be in the early morning rush hours so hopefully all who want to make their presence felt can do that then - come to the station a bit earlier and help collect signatures on the petitions. I will post details when they finalise. But also emails to the Rail Minister and the Mayor and to the local press are all realy important. Take a look at the SRUG campaign page http://www.peckhamvision.org/brg/rail-cuts for a summary of all the actions needed, and do them one by one!

In the meantime, you can download petitions and fliers from here http://www.peckhamvision.org/brg/srug/news/campaign-actions-petition-flier-printing-email-addresses-letters. Please carry them with you so you can talk to fellow passengers on the trains and the station when you travel, and collect signatures and encourage them to sign up to the mailing list or online at Facebook so we can grow a large number of well informed voices. We need to keep going and adding thousands of us to the lists.

[tommy]

Commuters who take other services (e.g. Blackfriars) from P Rye should also sign up - and complain - as no doubt more people heading into the city will get on this service (a good example was the 08.00 service yesterday that usually is a 8 carriage)

With more City workers attracted to East Dulwich and Peckham Rye - crowding will only get worse

Really angry that Boris et al flaunt their green credentials and then start to pull public transport (in an area where not everyone can afford alternative forms of transport)

[mrs beef]

Last night and this morning London Travel Watch/The Railway Consultancy Ltd were handing out cards for a passenger survey about this issue (at Peckham Rye station yesterday and on the train in to Victoria this AM). If approached PLEASE, PLEASE do complete and return the card OR complete it online at

http://www.railcons.castavote.co.uk/

Most people didn't bother to take a card: I am amazed at how much ignorance still surrounds this issue when it will have serious implications for those of us who travel into Victoria on a regular basis.

[Applespider]

Damn... you can only fill it in online if you have a card with a survey number. I'll keep my eyes open for them over the next few days though when on the trains.

I tend to jump on the fast trains for the most part especially since Southeastern started having a few extra ones stop between 8 and 9 and later in the evenings.

[Eileen]

Applespider Wrote:

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> Damn... you can only fill it in online if you have

> a card with a survey number. I'll keep my eyes

> open for them over the next few days though when

> on the trains.

There will not be any more cards handed out on the trains, see update on http://www.eastdulwichforum.co.uk/forum/read.php?5,298957

However you can get a survey number and complete it on-line:

from the website http://www.railcons.castavote.co.uk/: If you do not have a survey number to enter, please email mailto:[email protected] stating whether you use;

Southern services between London Bridge and Victoria

Southeastern services between Victoria and Dartford

Both of the above

Clapham North underground

A new survey number will be emailed to you.

Thank you

On behalf of London Travelwatch