New data on train delays shows true nightmare of travelling from Streatham stations

The high level of train cancellations and delays at all three Streatham stations is revealed in its full horror in latest statistics supplied in response to a Freedom of Information request we have made on behalf of Streatham Action Transport.

Give your experience of travelling by train from Streatham in this survey.

The rail indsutry target is that less than 10% of trains should be more than 5 mins late and 2% cancelled or severely late. Instead Streatham stations suffered up to 40% of trains delayed and up to 35% cancelled following the introduction of new (reduced service) timetables on 27th May 2018.


According to data supplied by Network Rail, the levels of service at all three Streatham stations were clearly terrible between 22 June 2017 and 25 July 2018:

Scott wins action on Pathfield Rd congestion

Calls from residents for changes to the lay-out of Pathfield Road to prevent rat-running and parking congestion have been heeded with a commitment from the council to consult on road improvements over the next few months.

Green Party councillor Scott Ainslie has been requesting council officers respond to the problems, which have worsened since the closure of Estreham Road to northbound traffic as part of a Quietways cycle route connecting south Lambeth with central London.

Congratulations to Potters Lane litter pickers

Results of litter pick

Congratulations to the volunteers who turned out to clean up Potters Lane alleyway and footbridge neaer Streatham Common station at the weekend.

They managed to fill 13 black sacks of garden waste/rubbish, 2 large green garden waste bags and 10 bags of recycling (beer cans & bottles).

Nicole Griffiths lends a hand

The Green Team's Nicole Griffiths was part of the small group led by local resident Joanna Pascoe.

The area, which is owned by Network Rail, is blighted by fly-tipping and anti-social behaviour. The litter problem has worsened since bins were removed.

Streatham Green councillor Scott Ainslie is this week raising the issue with the officers responsible  for rubbish collection and fly-tipping and will report back.

Cllr Ainslie has requested bins are reinsituted and regular sweeps made by rubbish collectors, to avoid residents having to undertake this potentially hazardous work in future.

Volunteers in action

After the Clean Up

+16Cases are referred to court, where offenders can be fined up to £50,000 in magistrates' courts, an unlimited amount of fines in crown courts, as well as community punishment orders or prison sentences of up to 5 years.

Green MP calls for 'emergency summit' over rail chaos

Caroline Lucas has called for an 'Emergency Summit' between key stakeholders including Government, Southern Rail/ Govia Thameslink and Network Rail.

It follows another day of rail chaos effecting Streatham stations.

The Green Party MP is demanding an 'emergency response' to the train crises gripping Streatham and covering much of Southern England.

Yesterday there was serious overcrowding and people were stuck on trains for long periods in the baking heat.  

The MP wants the Government to step in and call an urgent summit immediately. 

Caroline Lucas MP said: “This is an emergency situation which requires an urgent response. I'm seriously worried that someone could be injured or worse. The Government must immediately call an emergency summit between all key stakeholders including Network Rail, the train company and Ministers”

“I’ve heard reports of passengers fainting and being stuck on sweltering trains on an extremely hot day. The failures yesterday were caused by a combination of problems with Network Rail, some of which were unavoidable, plus the usual delays on the service. 

“I’m doing all I can to meet with the Minister responsible for trains later today to demand action to repair this failing service. Passengers have suffered for many months now and, with a new Government in place, it’s time for real action to address the multiple problems with this service. As a start the Minister should signal his intent by taking the service into public hands so Government can truly get a grip on it.”

You can sign the petition to strip Southern Rail of its franchise here

Oppose ticket office closures at Streatham Stations

Hot on the heels of their proposals to remove guards/conductors from Southern services, Govia Thameslink Railways Ltd (GTR) are now proposing even more passenger misery through Station ticket office closures and reduced opening hours and services at others with the resultant loss of more jobs (see here for more on the consultation proposals)

Streatham Hill, Streatham, and Streatham Common stations (also Tulse Hill and West Norwood) will lose their ticket offices in the summer, under the current plans.

These damaging cuts on the Southern and Great Northern Thameslink services fly in the face of the fact that there is still a clear need for staffed ticket offices at stations. Indeed, research shows that many passengers prefer to buy from the ticket office rather than from a ticket machine. Replacing staffed ticket offices with ticket machines, or mobile staff expected to sell tickets on platforms, will undoubtedly limit the quality and range of services available to passengers.

Consultation on these changes is being rushed through and there is only limited time until midnight on the 13th March to register your objection with London Travel Watch.

We are joining RMT in urging everyone to let the watchdog know you oppose these changes and are concerned that passengers:

· would not be able to access all the tickets and services needed from a ticket machine;

· would find it harder to obtain advice on tickets and fares without a staffed office;

· would be concerned that there were insufficient numbers of ticket machines (due to them being in high demand or faulty);

· would experience more delays and concourse congestion;

· believe that vulnerable or less technically minded passengers, perhaps including the disabled, elderly or visitors may be less confident using a ticket machine and could end up overspending or being deterred from travel; and

· believe that a ticket office closure will adversely impact on security at the station and believe that a staffed ticket office is a valuable deterrent against crime.

These proposals are unacceptable at a time of rising fares and rail passenger numbers. There is no genuine economic case for reducing the services at many of these high growth stations and this is really about cutting costs and sweating the assets to make even bigger profits for shareholders.

Email: enquiries@londontravelwatch.org.uk with 'GTR ticket office changes' in the subject line to make your voice heard.

Campaign postcards can be provided on request to RMT head office,
http://www.rmt.org.uk/campaigns/rail/keep-ticket-offices-open-govia/

Green Party action at Streatham stations for fairer fares

Greens were bright and early this morning (a little bleary eyed!) at Streatham's three railway stations - Streatham, Streatham Common and Streatham Hill (as well as Brixton) letting people know about Green Party proposals for lowering fairs and getting much needed investment in our railways.  You can read more about the proposals here.

This was part of a London-wide day of action  calling for the railways to be brought back into public hands.   Green MP Caroline Lucas will be presenting a bill in the House of Commons this week in support of this,

Major changes to Streatham's train services from this Saturday

We have just received this notice from Network Rail about changes to train services through Streatham:

Starting this Saturday, 20 December, there are major changes to train services as Network Rail continues to rebuild London Bridge station.

We have been working closely with train operators and Transport for London to communicate these changes to passengers. We would appreciate it if you could encourage your residents to check before they travel by making this information available on your website, in emails and on social media.

From January, longer-term changes mean that some passengers may have to have their train tickets reissued in order to use alternative routes. More details can be found on our Travel Advice webpage.

As a reminder here is a summary of the service changes. 
We have been working closely with train operators and Transport for London to communicate these changes to passengers. We would appreciate it if you could encourage your residents to check before they travel by making this information available on your website, in emails and on social media.
From January, longer-term changes mean that some passengers may have to have their train tickets reissued in order to use alternative routes. More details can be found on our Travel Advice webpage.
As a reminder here is a summary of the service changes. 
Changes from 20 December to 4 January 2015

• From 20 December to 4 January there will be no Southern or Thameslink services to or from London Bridge.

• Between Monday 22 and Wednesday 24 December, trains to Charing Cross will not stop at London Bridge from 07:54 to 09:01.

• Some London Overground services will not run during this time.

• There will be changes to services across the rail network throughout the festive period, please checkNational Rail Enquiries to plan your journey.

• Full details of all the changes taking place can be found on our December 2014 and January 2015 webpage.

Changes from 5 January 2015

• From 5 January 2015 to January 2018 there will be no Bedford to Brighton cross-London Thameslink trains to or from London Bridge. A reduced off-peak service will run between Brighton and London Bridge and a very limited service will run in the peak.

• From 12 January 2015 to August 2016 Southeastern services to and from Charing Cross will not stop at London Bridge.

• Some services that currently operate to Charing Cross or Cannon Street may be diverted to an alternative London terminal, such as Blackfriars and may leave at different times. Please check the new timetable.

• The way you move around the station will change. View our updated station map to see how the station will look from 12 January 2015. 

Valid National Rail tickets will be accepted on certain routes during these changes for more information visit our December and January webpage. 
More informationWe will regularly update the information available, please keep checking for updates atThameslinkProgramme.co.uk or follow us @TLProgramme.

Streatham Common Bridge to re-open on 7 May

The bridge on Greyhound Lane by Streatham Common station which has been closed since November 2012 is to reopen two months early.

The bridge was closed to vehicles while Network Rail extended platforms at the station underneath to allow for longer trains. Sections of the bridge had to be removed and replaced to accommodate the longer platforms below.

They was huge criticism for the council and Network Rail from local people, for the lack of notice given. Businesses in particular had no time to prepare for the huge impact it has had. The Streatham Bridge Business Association estimates that the local economy has lost around £19 million because of the closure.

The bridge was originally due to reopen to one way traffic from the end of April with a full reopening at the end of July.

After pressure from local residents and businesses however, Network Rail has been in discussion with Lambeth Council and the local business association, and agreed the bridge will reopen fully to traffic on Tuesday 7 May.

When we went around the area this morning letting people know, there were, as you might expect, lots of smiles at the news.

Meeting tonight (Wednesday) for local businesses regarding Greyhound Lane/ Streatham Common Station bridge closure

There's a meeting tonight at The Railway Pub SW16 for local businesses who have been impacted by the Greyhound Lane Bridge Closure.

The meeting is at 7.00pm. All local business owners are welcome to attend.

You can see our recent updates on the situation here and here.

There is also a twitter feed for updates: @StreathamBridge

Report on public meeting regarding Greyhound Lane Bridge closure at Streatham Common Station

[Updated 8/10/12 as we have been following up action which was promised at the meeting]

There was an emotionally charged public meeting last Thursday night (4th October) at Granton Primary School, organised by Network Rail, regarding the closure of the bridge on Greyhound Lane by Streatham Common Station.

There is a lot of local anger around the effect that it will have on local people and businesses, but also the lack of notice and consultation.

Local Green Scott Ainslie was among those asking questions and sent a report from the meeting, containing the information which was given in response to questions from local people.

The work itself

The work involves extending Platforms 1 and 2 under the bridge, to accommodate longer trains, and this is what is causing the need to replace the bridge. The bridge is also 100 years old and needs updating to meet new safety standards.

When asked why platforms couldn't be extended North instead, it was said the railway junction, being on a corner, was too busy and would raise issues of safety. Network Rail said all options had been considered, and this was the only feasible one.

The anticipated closure, impact and arrangements

They are forecasting the bridge will be closed completely for 6 months, then around May-June, 2013, the bridge will be open on one side until the work is completed at the end of June.

A single lane is closed at the moment in order to set up a temporary footbridge and foundation points. Current ongoing ground investigative works may mean that time can be saved later on.

Normal weekly commuters should not be affected too much, as most of the work will be carried out at the weekends, when a replacement bus service will operate. (Please allow for longer journeys as the effect on the roads will be substantial!) However, the station will be closed altogether on Saturday 3rd and Sunday 4th November, but will open again on the 5th November.

Diversions will be in place for drivers. Please see Lambeth website for details of this (they are not there at the moment!)


Impact on local businesses

The question was asked what Network Rail would do to mitigate the effect on local businesses? Streatham's Town Centre manager, Angelina Purcell has asked Maureen Smith to look at business rates-block reductions. Angelina has promised to keep everyone up to date. The question was also put whether Network Rail could have a slush fund for this. There was a promise from Network Rail to look into this.

The lack of consultation

Many people only found out last week by word of month about these works. There have been no posters at the station telling people. It was claimed that 2000 letters went out, however only 2 out of 150 people at the meeting said that they had received a letter, and this was in August. (So, obviously no room for ‘consultation’ anyway!)

There was a feeling at the meeting from local people that there had been no consultation at all, and people said they felt 'appallingly treated' and called this 'unprofessional'.

There was a repeated apology during the meeting from Network Rail for this.

There were also questions about when Lambeth council and local councillors knew, and why they did not inform/consult people sooner. Lambeth council were told about the works, but Lambeth officers said they felt there was no point 'alarming' the public over potential works. When the likely duration of the work started to increase and the work looked as if it would go ahead, councillors were allegedly told about it.

There was an apology on behalf of Lambeth council who apparently knew six months before about the proposed bridge works would go ahead around July/ August time. Cllr Mark Bennett promised to look into this and report back. We will ask Cllr Bennett for this information and ensure it is passed onto everyone.

There was also specific concern that local community groups and businesses had not been consulted. We made the point that in view of a claims that Lambeth is a cooperative Council, this fell well short of their intentions.

Questions were also raised about why the work was taking place in Winter when the days are shorter, with suggestions it should have been done in Spring/Summer.


Other issues

Local residents suggested that whilst these alterations are being made the opportunity should be taken for the station and local area to be made more accessible for all.

It was suggested that council officers should visit the site to see impact on traffic. They would also need to address the traffic light and pedestrian crossing, as there is no green man and the public’s safety is at risk.

There was great concern about the impact of traffic now going into side roads where the diverted traffic will run.


Further information

With regard to getting more information there is a 24 hr helpline for any questions: 08457 114141 or you can email Crsouth@networkrail.co.uk Information should also be posted on www.networkrail.co.uk and found if you search for "Streatham". (This is not up currently, but Scott Ainslie has emailed them to ask when their site will be updated, as he was promised by James Azur-Kean of Network rail, that this would be done immediately).

Community relations adviser is John Eccles. You can ring the national helpline & ask for him.

There is also the possibility of Facebook page to be set up by Network Rail.

The Lambeth council website should also contain the latest information. Currently it does not, but we will pursue this.

Public meeting on Greyhound Lane bridge closure

There will be a public meeting on Thursday night about the platform extension works at Streatham Common station, which look as if they will cause traffic chaos. Local businesses are also expressing concern about the impact with Streatham Vale Farmer's market already a casualty. A number of local residents have also contacted me expressing their own concerns.

The work started in late September to allow the station to take trains with up to ten carriages. The works require replacement of the railway bridge and local people have been told that this will mean a partial closure of Greyhound Lane from 24 September to 28 October.

This will be followed by a full closure of Greyhound Lane in the area around the bridge from 3 November to 29 April 2013 with more closures thereafter for utilities to reinstate services over the bridge, duration depending on progress.

Network Rail have arranged the public meeting for residents affected by the platform extension works and the closure of the bridge at 7.00pm on Thursday 4th October at Granton Primary School, Granton Road, SW16 5AN. Officers from Lambeth council will also be in attendance, and it is hoped, a representative from Transport for London.