Asked by: Clive Efford (Labour - Eltham)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will request that Southeastern Trains and Network Rail explain the reasons for disruption to services at London Bridge on 4, 5 and 6 January 2016; and if he will publish the responses of those organisations to that request.
Answered by Claire Perry
Network Rail has informed me that problems with signalling equipment caused delays to some Southeastern services via London Bridge on 4, 5 and 6 of January. On the morning of 4th January, a track circuit failed near Cannon Street. On the evening of 5th January a track circuit failed on the line to Charing Cross and Network Rail was not able to rectify the fault until the morning of the 6th.
Network Rail and Southeastern worked together to ensure the issues were rectified as quickly as possible and passenger disruption was minimised.
I remain committed to ensuring disruption is kept to a minimum while we continue the vital Thameslink Programme works to improve capacity and reliability through one of the busiest rail routes in Europe.
Asked by: Clive Efford (Labour - Eltham)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 26 January 2015 to Question 221654, if he will place in the Library a map showing the points along the rail lines where Thameslink services would interfere with the timetable for Cannon Street services; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Claire Perry
The Thameslink Programme works on the approaches to London Bridge and at the station itself are designed to segregate Charing Cross, Thameslink and Cannon Street services. This will improve service reliability and increase capacity on this part of the network, allowing the more intensive Thameslink service to operate.
Capacity constraints on other parts of the network, particularly at Lewisham mean that if Thameslink services were to operate from Lewisham they would have to replace other services at Lewisham. They would not be additional services.
The track layout at Lewisham means that it is likely that the number of Cannon Street services would be reduced rather than Charing Cross services.
Asked by: Clive Efford (Labour - Eltham)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 26 January 2015 to Question 221670, how many eight-carriage fixed-set Thameslink trains will be purchased for the Wimbledon link to replace the 12-carriage trains in the original plans; what the savings will be arising from that purchase; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Claire Perry
The Invitation to Tender for the Thameslink Rolling Stock Project, issued in 2008, included the requirement for the train manufacturer and maintainer to build sufficient 8-car trains to replace those being operated by the Thameslink operator on Wimbledon services. As a result, there is no requirement to purchase additional trains for Wimbledon services.
The decision to continue Wimbledon services through the core had no impact on the rolling stock procurement.
Asked by: Clive Efford (Labour - Eltham)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 26 January 2015 to Question 221618, on what date the 12-carriage peak-time services listed will begin to operate; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Claire Perry
These services started on 12 January.
Asked by: Clive Efford (Labour - Eltham)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if Thameslink trains will use the new rail lines at St John's following the completion of the scheme; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Claire Perry
Thameslink trains will not be operating on routes via Lewisham hence they will not use the new rail lines installed at Tanner’s Hill near St John’s station. However, existing Southeastern services on routes from Lewisham to Charing Cross are, and will continue to use, this new infrastructure.
Asked by: Clive Efford (Labour - Eltham)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the cost was of the St John's Thameslink scheme; what that scheme was designed to achieve; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Claire Perry
The Thameslink Programme works near St John’s Station installed a second track to increase capacity on the Tanner’s Hill route that enables trains from Lewisham to join the lines to Charing Cross without conflicting with trains on the main line from Kent. This means that Charing Cross trains can approach London Bridge on the right lines to arrive at the Charing Cross platforms without conflicting with Thameslink trains from Sussex. This improves the resilience of both services.
Construction of the additional track cost £13.1m.
Asked by: Clive Efford (Labour - Eltham)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans he has to continue with Victoria services via Lewisham following the completion of the Thameslink scheme at London Bridge.
Answered by Claire Perry
Southeastern’s current franchise contains provisions to operate services to Victoria, via Lewisham. The franchise is due to end in June 2018 and any changes to the service specification that may be proposed under the next franchise will be subject to public consultation, alongside a range of other franchise issues.
Asked by: Clive Efford (Labour - Eltham)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many platforms at stations need further improvements to accommodate 12-carriage trains on the railway lines that run through (a) Eltham, (b) Plumstead and (c) New Eltham; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Claire Perry
All platform works to accommodate 12-car trains were completed on time. At Woolwich Dockyard it is not physically possible to extend the platforms and therefore was never intended to be part of those works.
Southeastern’s new timetable (from 12 January) plans to operate the following Monday-to-Friday 12-car peak time services:
- Eltham 12-car service:
0938 Barnehusrt to Cannon Street via Bexleyheath
- Plumstead 12-car services:
0844 Cannon Street to Cannon Street via Greenwich & Sidcup
0836 Cannon Street to Barnehust via Greenwich
- New Eltham 12-car services:
0456 Gravesend to Cannon Street via Sidcup
0728 Gravesend to Cannon Street via Sidcup
0844 Cannon Street to Cannon Street via Greenwich & Sidcup
1721 Cannon Street to Gravesend via Sidcup
1832 Gravesend to Charing Cross via Sidcup
All stations on these routes are now 12-car capable (excepting Woolwich Dockyard)
Asked by: Clive Efford (Labour - Eltham)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many 12-carriage trains Southeastern rail has provided since work was completed to extend the platforms through (a) Eltham, (b) Plumstead and (c) New Eltham; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Claire Perry
All platform works to accommodate 12-car trains were completed on time. At Woolwich Dockyard it is not physically possible to extend the platforms and therefore was never intended to be part of those works.
Southeastern’s new timetable (from 12 January) plans to operate the following Monday-to-Friday 12-car peak time services:
- Eltham 12-car service:
0938 Barnehusrt to Cannon Street via Bexleyheath
- Plumstead 12-car services:
0844 Cannon Street to Cannon Street via Greenwich & Sidcup
0836 Cannon Street to Barnehust via Greenwich
- New Eltham 12-car services:
0456 Gravesend to Cannon Street via Sidcup
0728 Gravesend to Cannon Street via Sidcup
0844 Cannon Street to Cannon Street via Greenwich & Sidcup
1721 Cannon Street to Gravesend via Sidcup
1832 Gravesend to Charing Cross via Sidcup
All stations on these routes are now 12-car capable (excepting Woolwich Dockyard)
Asked by: Clive Efford (Labour - Eltham)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether Thameslink trains will be formed of 12 carriages following the completion of improvements at London Bridge on services via (a) Wimbledon and (b) Lewisham; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Claire Perry
Following completion of the Thameslink Programme in late 2018, services through the Thameslink ‘Core’ will be operated by eight and twelve car fixed formation trains. Services via Wimbledon (operating on the ‘Wimbledon Loop’) will be formed of eight carriages. Thameslink services will not operate via Lewisham.
Lewisham services are operated by South Eastern and we do not mandate the length of these services.