From:
To:
Subject:
Fwd: Comments new approach to rail passengers services in the South East
Date:
18 March 2016 16:26:41
In response to your Rail Prospectus
Q1 Do you agree with the principle of a Partnership to better integrate the specification
of rail passenger services across London and the South East.
It is a pity that the published prospectus has to be responded to at TFL which means that
politically the South East is not represented
Q2 Do you agree with the principles that the partnership will work to ? Are there any
specific issues that have not been captured.
The ownership of the maintenance depot is crucial to the operation of services by
allocating units to diagrammes. If Selhurst depot is owned by TFL then the operation of
services like the Uckfield line will suffer. ie in early privatisation days Thameslink units
were maintained at Selhurst. The service was so poor that Thameslink built there own
depot at Bedford.
Q3 Do you agree with the proposed Governance arrangements.
To increase services to to metro style frequencies on the two rail outer surburban lines
means that the outer surburban services are slower. ie when the mayor of London
specified 15 minute service at Sanderstead and Riddlesdown the three fast peak services
from East Grinstead to London Bridge changed to stopping services meaning that East
Grinstead passengers had a 14 minute longer journey time on these trains.
Q4 What form do you propose for LEP and LA input
The local Authority and LEP input must not be waited on either side from the GLA area
or outside the GLA area.
Q5 Do you agree with the safe guards for transfer of inner surburban services to TFL as
set out here.
NO the maintenance of units both in the Southern Metro area and outside the GLA area
throughout Southern is from Selhurst Depot and the units are inter linked and the
splitting of lines does not make sense.
The safeguard on retaining national fares is not strong enough. A safeguard is there for
the present faresbut no safeguard for the use or purchase is shown. ie
and this will work the barrier at London Victoria the barriers on the undergrond system
and the barriers at London Euston and be available at Manchester Picadilly if one had to
use oyster style smartcard ticketing then both ease of purchase and use on the day will
be reduced.
No safeguard for available staff. The underground have closed ticket offices with the
proviso that staff will be available in the Ticket Hall. I use London Bridge underground
frequently but have not yet seen this member of staff.
Q6 Are there other outcomes you might expect to see achieved.
If shorter turnrounds at London termini are imposed then in times of disruption the
service will be worse to passengers outside the GLA area as no time will be able to be
made up at the termini this will affect outer services passengers the trains are not as
frequent as inner services.