‘This is 2022, we’re not living in 1890’: Commuter anger at Southeastern cutting services to Charing Cross

By Joe Coughlan, Local Democracy Reporter

Commuters in Greenwich and Bexley are frustrated by a set of changes announced by Southeastern Railway last week, meaning trains will see reduced services to Charing Cross.

The changes, which will come into effect in December, will see all trains on the Woolwich line no longer serving Charing Cross and will instead terminate at London Cannon Street.

Passengers are being encouraged to transfer at London Bridge if they wish to go to Charing Cross.

Steve Grocott is a Blackheath local who learned of the changes last week. He said: “I use this line a lot and often go to Charing Cross so that will be a real problem.”

Despite being semi-retired, Mr Grocott still often travels to central London.

He said: “I travel around quite a lot. I don’t have a regular commute, I’m a musician that does training and they send me all over the place so I often go on different routes. So flexibility is equally important to me.”

Commuters on the Bexleyheath line will also see an altered service, with trains only going to Charing Cross at peak times.

Weekend and off-peak trains will terminate at London Cannon Street. This means commuters will also not be able to access Waterloo station without transferring at London Bridge, which a Southeastern Railway spokesperson said was “re-designed specifically for this purpose, with accessible lifts to every platform”.

Often travelling between Surrey and Blackheath for work, Nik Wood said the latest changes have caused him to reconsider his commute.

He said: “I use Blackheath quite a lot to work because I don’t have an office in London. But in order to get to Surrey, for instance, I go through Waterloo East because I don’t have a car. So that will affect me quite dramatically, actually. And I’m very surprised to hear that.”

Alan and Sheila Barnett were not aware of the new timetable until yesterday, and have been travelling to Charing Cross from Canterbury every month for years for medical appointments.

Mrs Barnett said: “It would affect [our commute] time wise, money wise, and convenience wise, because we go to Charing Cross and then walk to where we’re going. But from Cannon Street, we can’t.

The new timetable was created in order to reduce footfall at busy local stations such as Lewisham, according to Southeastern Railway.

The couple started using public transport more after the pandemic when traffic returned and the ULEZ charge was enforced. Mrs Barnett said: “This is 2022, we’re not living in 1890. I don’t understand. Things should be easier, not harder. I don’t get it. I’m actually a bit angry.

“This is going to make it harder for commuters, or people who want to travel. I can’t see that this in any way helps people.”

The spokesperson said: “Under the December timetable all trains will terminate at Cannon Street to reduce congestion at the busy junction at Lewisham. This is part of a plan to reduce congestion at all junctions, which will improve punctuality and see fewer cancellations.”

Pictured top: Steve Grocott at Blackheath station, disappointed by the new Southeastern Railway timetable changes (Picture: Joe Coughlan)