From: Roger Johnson
Sent: 04 February 2014 14:52
To: Gibson, Mike
Subject: RE: Southeastern December 2014 draft service specification consultation
Dear Mike
I attach the reply from SRTA on the draft timetable. We have some fairly serious reservations about the AM peak schedule and have added a number of (hopefully) helpful suggestions and comments.
We would welcome a meeting if possible to discuss the AM peak since we may have misunderstood certain issues and also limited the amount of detail we have included in our reply. Perhaps you could contact us in due course.
Good wishes
Roger
Vice Chair Sevenoaks RTA
SEVENOAKS RAIL TRAVELLERS ASSOCIATION
LB Rebuilding – Comments on Proposed Timetable
The SRTA understands the need for the closures as outlined in SER’s undated note to stakeholders headed “Southeastern December 2014 timetable” and the consequential need for trains in and out of Charing Cross not to stop at London Bridge from December 2014 to August 2016.
We have divided our comments according to time of day and days of the week closing with a final series of general comments. We have assumed all services will be of the maximum length commensurate with the passenger loadings. We note that this is likely to involve running substantial additional numbers of units due to the need to serve two London termini.
We would welcome an opportunity to discuss all our concerns further at a meeting.
WEEKDAY PEAKS
1. AM Peak
a. SRTA foresee a problem with existing passengers of the semi-fast services from TW (Tunbridge Wells) (from all stations between TW and Sevenoaks) having to switch to other SEML services to reach CS (Cannon Street). We note that most CS mainline services are already at, or above, capacity (PIXC), and are consistently the most heavily loaded services from Sevenoaks. We can see no reason for anyone currently using these services to switch to another service since the stops on these services are unchanged. CS mainline services are likely to be very heavily loaded on arrival at Sevenoaks with large numbers of regular users wishing to board.
b. The diversion of the 0700 from TW will cause severe inconvenience and potentially massive overloading on following services. This diversion will result in two fast departures from Sevenoaks to CS within 3 minutes at 07:23 and 07:26 and then a 40 minute gap until the next CS fast during the peak of the rush hour. It also groups three fast CX services together at 07:43, 07:46, 07:50. SRTA strongly urges that the 07:20 (07:43 at Sevenoaks) be diverted to CS rather than the 07:00. This restores an approximately uniform 20 minute pattern to the LB/CS fast service. It may well be desirable to divert the 07:37 slow service to CX (see 1c below).
c. SRTA has received strong representations from Dunton Green (DG) users (and which will apply to Knockholt as well). The issue is that the current draft timetable leaves the growing number of commuters from DG and Knockholt with gaps of 40 minutes in their access to one or other of LB/CS or WE/CX even if they are willing to change at Orpington or elsewhere.
Commuters from DG using the 0720 from DG to CS connect at Chelsfield with the 0700 from TW which is to be diverted to CS. Changing at Orpington they can connect with the 0742 from Orpington which is in turn to be diverted to Blackfriars. The result is no access to WE/CX from DG between 0659 and 0740. Similarly the 0800 from DG is diverted to WE/CX and connects at Chelsfield with the 0740 from TW to CX leaving no access to CS leaving between 0740 until 0820 even if they are willing to change at Orpington causing the same problem of a 40 minute gap this time to reach WE/CX.
SRTA strongly recommends that the Sevenoaks slow and the TW semi-fast services should be treated as a pair and if the TW service is diverted to CS the matching slow service should be diverted to CX.
d. Overall SRTA strongly suspect that passenger demand to reach LB and CS in the morning peak requires diverting at least one more of the TW services each hour to avoid severe overcrowding (4 in total). We urge SER to review very carefully the current passenger patterns especially at LB.
e. This problem is further compounded by passengers from the whole of the SEML on current CX (Charing Cross) services who alight at LB (London Bridge) also switching to the limited number of CS services either at their home station or en route at Tonbridge or Sevenoaks.
f. We observe that TW semis have very large offloads at LB, possibly a third of passengers, which will need accommodating on other services unless the service is diverted to LB/CS. The TW semis carry many of the 150-200 commuters on each train boarding at Chelsfield who may switch to using the slow service for access to CS.
2. PM peak
a. SRTA is surprised at the very small number of changes proposed for the evening peak services. Our assessment is that, despite the limited spare capacity on many services, with no diversions all those who currently board the TW semis at LB travelling to Sevenoaks and beyond will have to switch to the fast services. This is a substantial number of additional passengers on already heavily loaded trains. These services will need to be of maximum length.
b. The slow service to Sevenoaks will be able to convey those travelling to Chelsfield. However, the slow service is unlikely to have much appeal for commuters to Sevenoaks and beyond to TW since it is already heavily loaded leaving London but, more particularly, the services leave LB 10 minutes earlier than the fast service and arrive at Sevenoaks nearly 15 minutes later (typically around 50 minutes against 25 minutes by SEML service).
WEEKDAY OFFPEAK
3. Daytime
a. SRTA accept that diverting the TW semi fast services to CS is probably the optimum operational solution. At Sevenoaks and Tonbridge passengers who would have used the up TW service will be delayed by only 5 minutes for the following Ashford line service.
b. In the down direction, passengers face a halving of the frequency of services from CX with trains leaving at 10/15 and 40/45 each hour compared to the current maximum wait of 15 minutes. We note the 15/45 services call at Orpington which should balance the loadings with the 10/40 services. Given the service pattern this delay while very undesirable is probably inevitable.
4. Early morning
a. SRTA notes that early morning services are being adjusted. We will wish to examine these changes carefully since without significant changes there will be very long delays for early morning commuters wishing to reach LB.
5. Post peak evening
a. For services up to 2100 our comments are broadly similar to the daytime off-peak services.
b. SRTA is very concerned that from 2100 the down services from CX will be at 10/40/45. We believe that this is inadequate especially from 2200 onwards. Our experience suggests that there will be very severe strain on the 2145/2210/2240/2245/2310/2340/2345 services. We strongly urge that consideration is given to adding a fourth service each hour from CX at 2115, 2215 and 2315.
6. Last trains
a. SRTA awaits details of the pattern of last trains but we would not wish to see the last train from CX any earlier than today. Clearly suitable arrangements need to be made for a last train from CS and LB, possibly involving a change to the CX service at an intermediate stop such as Orpington.
WEEKENDS
7. Weekend services
a. SRTA recognise that all weekend services will be liable to planned disruption/diversion due to the building work. SRTA strongly favours diverting ALL SEML services to a single London terminus on such occasions and not splitting them between two termini. The latter arrangement while acceptable in the up direction inevitably leads to unnecessarily extended intervals in the down direction when passengers have to elect to go to one terminus to catch their service. It will also be simpler for passengers to understand.
At Sevenoaks, publicity should be given to the Maidstone East line services via Otford which provide a useful alternative service at weekends since most passengers from the Sevenoaks area drive to their local station.
8. Patterns of service
a. As with weekday services, last trains will need careful planning.
b. SER’s note says “Saturday services will reflect the Monday to Friday off peak service”. This should be broadly satisfactory. However, on Saturday evening from 2100 onwards substantial numbers of passengers will be travelling home from London. The note does not make clear what services are planned to be run between 2100 and closedown. If the pattern follows the weekday pattern then a service from CX at 10/15/40/45 during day should suffice. However, if the TW and Hastings services are to be diverted to CS that would leave only a 10/40 from CX after 2000. This could cause severe overcrowding from 2130 and also provide no direct connection from CX to TW and Hastings. If the note means that a service similar in pattern to the weekday evening service is to be adopted this should be adequate.
c. Sundays – as noted in 7(a) we strongly favour concentrating services from one line of route into one terminus rather than spreading them between two termini, for example all SEML services diverted to, for example, Victoria rather than half of services going to CS and half to Victoria etc.
OTHER ISSUES
9. Passenger Counts at LB
SRTA is grateful to SER for supplying the data they currently have on SEML peak services. However, the absence of any data on the numbers alighting and boarding at LB in the peaks (especially the morning) makes any detailed consideration of likely future passenger behaviour speculative. Data exists on train loadings arriving at and departing from LB enabling a calculation of the net change. However observation shows that the movements on the platform are very large. SRTA would urge SER to conduct special counts of passengers boarding at LB in the morning peak (since this is likely to be easier than those alighting) to determine the number alighting from SEML trains. In our view this data is critical to developing an accurate understanding of likely future shifts in passenger behaviour.
10. Transfers between SER London termini
SRTA can envisage numerous examples of passengers needing to travel from one SER terminus to another during the rebuilding. Specifically in a period of disruption no doubt TfL can be informed but a passenger whose service to CX is cancelled and decides to take the next available train which runs to CS should be able to travel to CX at no cost. We await details of arrangements for customers to transfer between SER terminals at no additional cost will be achieved with interest.
11. CS onward connections
Bus connections from CS are poor in the morning and frequently full since many bus routes turn at LB. CS also will need enhanced access by tube and bus throughout the hours for which it is open including the weekend. We await with interest details of adjustments by TfL to bus and tube services at CS to meet demand.
12. W/E – Southwark interchange
When CX trains are non-stopping at LB, many LB users will use WE instead. SRTA believe that ALL SER tickets should be accepted at Southwark LUL station to gain access to or leave WE.
Effective publicity is needed to make clear that passengers using SER trains that they can enter/leave WE via Southwark LUL station (whether using Oyster cards as today or, if agreed, using other SER tickets) rather than making the very long detour via Sandell Street (with 78 steps!) or the even more circuitous route via the escalators at Waterloo MLS. Suitable additional signage would be needed on the WE platform and at the Southwark station entrance.
The option of changing between SER services to the Jubilee line using Waterloo mainline station and Waterloo LUL station could also be publicised despite the significant delay to passengers resulting from the lengthy walk.
Finally we are concerned at the very limited capacity of the interchange at WE with the Jubilee line. We note the very steep and narrow staircase from Platform D and also the absence of any public address system to advise passengers of options during any period of disruption. We would be keen to hear details of SER’s for passenger management at WE.
13. LB Signage and Passenger Information
Throughout the LB rebuilding good passenger information and signage at LB will be key to the successful management of the passengers. Clearly passenger routes through the concourse will evolve through the project but our members’ experience to date with the signage has been disappointing. A key requirement is to inform passengers emerging from the LUL station of the next available trains. The existing signage at the foot of the ramps leading to the platforms has always been hopelessly inadequate. With revised timetables and, doubtless periodic unplanned disruption, large real time information displays are needed. So far nothing has been implemented on the scale needed. Without good information there must be a risk of a major incident resulting from conflicting passenger movements around the station due to a failure of passenger management. We strongly urge the installation of an all stations display adjacent to the SER barrier line close to the LUL escalators.
14. Customer Information on Trains
SRTA has encouraged the improvement of customer information by SER and recognise significant enhancements have been made. One key area we would highlight during the rebuilding is the need for good on-train information. A particular concern is on morning peak services when the system will be very stretched. TfL informed SRTA that they supply information about disruptions to all TOCs but in practice apart from the basic rainbow displays of the different underground lines little if any other information is made available on SEML services. In SRTA’s view, during the rebuilding, it is essential that train crew give out information during journeys concerning disruption on transport services in central London. In the event of delays to LUL services occurring during journeys to work this will maximise the opportunity for passengers to modify their routes and hence avoid major congestion occurring in and around the major London termini and adjacent LUL stations.