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41 more stations to be staffed at night in rail safety drive
Nicholas Cecil, Chief Political Correspondent03.11.08
FORTY-ONE more stations in London will be manned until the last service at night from next year after ministers ordered safety improvements.
Every train on the new South Central franchise will also be equipped with CCTV under the measures.
The criteria for the new franchise, announced today, also includes more late-night and weekend services and longer trains at pinchpoints to increase capacity by 25 per cent.
The new franchise, which starts next September, will serve the capital, Surrey, Hampshire and Sussex including the Brighton line.
The improvements come after two Evening Standard campaigns, Safer Stations and A Seat For Every Commuter, called for improved station security and more capacity on key lines.
But experts say longer trains are not expected to keep up with growing rail use. The National Audit Office predicts overcrowding will get worse while fares rise faster than inflation.
Increases in regulated fares - peak time, season and saver tickets - will, however, be capped overall at retail price index inflation plus one per cent, and no individual fares will go up by more than RPI plus three per cent.
Currently, the cost of some journeys can go up by RPI plus six per cent.
One thousand extra parking spaces and 1,500 additional secure cycling bays will be created on the network.
Transport Minister Lord Adonis said: "By setting more robust requirements for bidders, we are ensuring future rail passengers have frequent, reliable services that are comfortable and safe."
Improvements on South Central, which will take in the existing Southern franchise, the Gatwick Express and the Tonbridge-Redhill section of Southeastern, will include:
* 41 more stations in London manned from the first to last service.
* New late-night services in south London on Fridays and Saturdays with most routes having trains until 00.30.
* Four trains per hour on most routes in south London until about 23.00 Monday to Saturday. Extra services in south London on Sundays.
* All south London stations being refurbished.
* New hourly Brighton to Southampton services on Sundays.
* Additional late-night services from Brighton to Worthing. Later services on the Uckfield route.
* Ticket gates at Worthing, Eastbourne, Chichester, Lewes and Horsham manned for longer.
The Department for Transport is funding the installation of ticket gates at 14 stations in south London including Peckham Rye and South Croydon as the Oyster card is rolled out.
Four bidders have been shortlisted: current operator Go Via; NedRailways, a subsidiary of the main train operator in Holland; Stagecoach and National Express. The franchise will run until July 2015.
The extra services are meant to alleviate the disruption caused by the upgrade of London Bridge station.
Reader views (7)
Melvin, Canvey Island - The Tories privatised British Rail not Labour. Also the bendy buses are being replaced with double deckers not small single decks
- James, London
Does this mean I will have to buy a ticket now?
- A P S, London
I think Melvyn from Canvey Island should read up on his history books. It was John Major's Tory Government who privated BR not Labour.
- Paula Newman, London, England
Melvyn - surely the extension of the East London Line to Croydon will provide plenty of connections to South London Rail services, including the Tramlink at Croydon? And since Oyster ticketing is being introduced for all Rail services in the London zones, the cost advantage for those who can find a way to avoid South London railways will disappear.
- Nigel, London
We have been waiting for a permanent ticket office and waiting room on our station platform since our station was moved over 10 years ago!! We also need our line electrified, and our double track restored, or do we have to wait another 10 years.
- B Zeitlyn, Uckfield
Please note this is thanks to a Gordon Brown Labour government and has nothing to do with the buffoon who resides in city hall. After all it was his party that privatised BR which lead to station staff being removed!
As for easing congestion well the extension of Tramlink to Crystal Palace would have provided another route for those heading for Canary Whalf with a link to the newly extended East London Line. But Boris is too busy writing newspaper articles at £200K a year to find time to negotiate funding for projects like this. So he cancels them makes his job as Mayor of London easier that way.
A seat for every commuter the way Boris is cutting future capacity on buses by next year it will take 2 hours just to get on his small single deck replacements on the artic routes. It will be the passengers that will have to be bendy instead of the buses.
- Melvyn Windebank, Canvey Island, Essex
More good news - we're being spoilt. Perhaps it's part of the Obama Effect.
- Squiz, Islington
