London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Monday, Sep 15, 2025

Rail firm reduces services ‘after losing passengers to Elizabeth line’

Rail firm reduces services ‘after losing passengers to Elizabeth line’

MPs to probe decision by Southeastern Railway to axe more than 700 trains a week

MPs are to scrutinise a rail firm’s plan to axe services – including a link to the Elizabeth line – that has angered passengers.

Southeastern, which was taken under Government control last year, is imposing a series of cuts and service reductions in its new timetable from December 11 to save £10m a year.

Among the changes are the axing of the suburban “loop” from Cannon Street, which goes via Sidcup and Abbey Wood before returning to Cannon Street.

This means passengers from stations such as Bexley and Erith will lose their direct link to Abbey Wood, where they can currently board Elizabeth line trains to Canary Wharf and on to the West End and Heathrow.


Abbey Wood: Southeastern and Thameslink passengers can switch onto the Elizabeth line

Southeastern said the success of the Elizabeth line, which carries about 300,000 passengers a day on its central section between Abbey Wood and Paddington, “has reduced demand on our own train services, and we therefore need to adapt our timetables accordingly”.

Labour MP Clive Efford, who represents Eltham, will lead a Westminster Hall debate on Tuesday into the changes, which are being introduced without consultation.

Other MPs who have expressed alarm about the new timetable include Sir Bob Neill, Abena Oppong-Asare, Matthew Pennycook and Ellie Reeves.

Sir Bob Neill, Tory MP for Bromley and Chislehurst, said the changes appeared to be “rushed and ill thought through” and reminiscent of previous “botched” timetable changes by other rail firms that had to be reversed.

He said pre-pandemic his constituency had the second highest number of rail commuters in England and Wales, behind only Lewisham West and Penge.


Mr Efford said the Government had used the pandemic “as an excuse” to allow peak services to be cut – and warned of trains becoming “chronically overcrowded” as more commuters returned to central London.

Steven Reilly-Hii, a Bexley resident who uses the Elizabeth Line to commute to Canary Wharf and at weekends to travel via Liverpool Street, said: “It’s farcical that Southeastern have waited until the Elizabeth Line has finally opened to then pull the direct way of reaching it for many people - plus not bother to consult the paying public about it.”

Southeastern: axing hundreds of trains to save £10m a year

The number of Southeastern trains will fall by more than 300 each weekday, from 1,988 pre-pandemic to 1,686 under the new timetable, transport minister Huw Merriman revealed in a written parliamentary answer.

Across its seven-day timetable, Southeastern will operate 3,913 services – 728 fewer, or a loss of one in six trains.

A Southeastern spokesman confirmed the Sidcup “loop” services were being axed.

But six London-bound trains an hour would call at Abbey Wood throughout the day – either Southeastern or Thameslink services – he said.

Campaigners have launched a petition to save the loop train.

The firm said it wanted to improve punctuality by reducing by two-thirds the number of trains crossing each other’s route at “notorious bottlenecks” such as Lewisham junction.

Its modelling predicts 12 per cent fewer cancellations and some 300,000 more “on time” – namely, within 59 seconds of timetable - station stops each year.

Southeastern wants to “match space on trains with demand” - its passenger numbers are down about 40 per cent on Mondays and Fridays, due to the post-pandemic collapse in five-day commuters.

It is also scrapping first class – freeing up an extra 60 seats on a 12-carriage train.

On the Sidcup line, Southeastern says passenger numbers have fallen from 23m a year to 12m a year.

Abbey Wood station was rebuilt for the opening of the Elizabeth line


On the Woolwich line, which includes Abbey Wood, all trains will be routed into Cannon Street station, rather than a third going to Charing Cross. There will be five Southeastern trains an hour in the morning peak, and four in the evening peak out of Cannon Street.

Passengers wanting to get to Charing Cross will need to change at London Bridge.

On the Sidcup line, all off-peak and weekend trains will run into Charing Cross, with no services into Cannon Street. There will be six trains an hour at peak times using both stations.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Poland Green-Lights NATO Deployment in Response to Major Russian Drone Incursion
Elon Musk Retakes Lead as World’s Richest After Brief Ellison Surge
U.S. and China Agree on Framework to Shift TikTok to American Ownership
London Daily Podcast: London Massive Pro Democracy Rally, Musk Support, UK Economic Data and Premier League Results Mark Eventful Weekend
This Week in AI: Meta’s Superintelligence Push, xAI’s Ten Billion-Dollar Raise, Genesis AI’s Robotics Ambitions, Microsoft Restructuring, Amazon’s Million-Robot Milestone, and Google’s AlphaGenome Update
Le Pen Tightens the Pressure on Macron as France Edges Toward Political Breakdown
Musk calls for new UK government at huge pro-democracy rally in London, but Britons have been brainwashed to obey instead of fighting for their human rights
Elon Musk responds to post calling for the murder of Erika Kirk, widow of Charlie Kirk: 'Either we fight back or they will kill us'
Czech Republic signs €1.34 billion contract for Leopard 2A8 main battle tanks with delivery from 2028
USA: Office Depot Employees Refused to Print Poster in Memory of Charlie Kirk – and Were Fired
Proposed U.S. Bill Would Allow Civil Suits Against Judges Who Release Repeat Violent Offenders
Penske Media Sues Google Over “AI Overviews,” Claiming It Uses Journalism Without Consent and Destroys Traffic
Indian Student Engineers Propose “Project REBIRTH” to Protect Aircraft from Crashes Using AI, Airbags and Smart Materials
French Debt Downgrade Piles Pressure on Macron’s New Prime Minister
US and UK Near Tech, Nuclear and Whisky Deals Ahead of Trump Trip
One in Three Europeans Now Uses TikTok, According to the Chinese Tech Giant
Could AI Nursing Robots Help Healthcare Staffing Shortages?
NATO Deploys ‘Eastern Sentry’ After Russian Drones Violate Polish Airspace
Anesthesiologist Left Operation Mid-Surgery to Have Sex with Nurse
Tens of Thousands of Young Chinese Get Up Every Morning and Go to Work Where They Do Nothing
The New Life of Novak Djokovic
The German Owner of Politico Mathias Döpfner Eyes Further U.S. Media Expansion After Axel Springer Restructuring
Suspect Arrested: Utah Man in Custody for Charlie Kirk’s Fatal Shooting
In a politically motivated trial: Bolsonaro Sentenced to 27 Years for Plotting Coup After 2022 Defeat
German police raid AfD lawmaker’s offices in inquiry over Chinese payments
Turkish authorities seize leading broadcaster amid fraud and tax investigation
Volkswagen launches aggressive strategy to fend off Chinese challenge in Europe’s EV market
ChatGPT CEO signals policy to alert authorities over suicidal youth after teen’s death
The British legal mafia hit back: Banksy mural of judge beating protester is scrubbed from London court
Surpassing Musk: Larry Ellison becomes the richest man in the world
Embarrassment for Starmer: He fired the ambassador photographed on Epstein’s 'pedophile island'
Manhunt after 'skilled sniper' shot Charlie Kirk. Footage: Suspect running on rooftop during panic
Effective Protest Results: Nepal’s Prime Minister Resigns as Youth-Led Unrest Shakes the Nation
Qatari prime minister says Netanyahu ‘killed any hope’ for Israeli hostages
King Charles and Prince Harry Share First In-Person Moment in 19 Months
Starmer Establishes Economic ‘Budget Board’ to Centralise Policy and Rebuild Business Trust
France Erupts in Mass ‘Block Everything’ Protests on New PM’s First Day
Poland Shoots Down Russian Drones in Airspace Violation During Ukraine Attack
Brazilian police say ex-President Bolsonaro had planned to flee to Argentina seeking asylum
Trinidad Leader Applauds U.S. Naval Strike and Advocates Forceful Action Against Traffickers
Kim Jong Un Oversees Final Test of New High-Thrust Solid-Fuel Rocket Engine
Apple Introduces Ultra-Thin iPhone Air, Enhanced 17 Series and New Health-Focused Wearables
Macron Appoints Sébastien Lecornu as Prime Minister Amid Budget Crisis and Political Turmoil
Supreme Court temporarily allows Trump to pause billions in foreign aid
Charlie Sheen says his father, Martin Sheen, turned him in to the police: 'The greatest betrayal possible'
Vatican hosts first Catholic LGBTQ pilgrimage
Apple Unveils iPhone 17 Series, iPhone Air, Apple Watch 11 and More at 'Awe Dropping' Event
Pig Heads Left Outside Multiple Paris Mosques in Outrage-Inducing Acts
Nvidia’s ‘Wow’ Factor Is Fading. The AI chip giant used to beat Wall Street expectations for earnings by a substantial margin. That trajectory is coming down to earth.
France joins Eurozone’s ‘periphery’ as turmoil deepens, say investors
×