On Feb 12, 4:23*pm, Mizter T wrote:
On 12 Feb, 14:49, MIG wrote:



(snip)

(much more snip)


It depends on how good the connections are at Queens Road Peckham. *I
wouldn't recommend the ****-soaked concrete staircases of Peckham Rye.

You've said this before about Peckham Rye and I never got round to
taking you up on it. The whole station is rather better looked after
these days than it has been in the past. I won't set myself up as a
hostage to fortune and vouch from them being spotless but they don't
stink of **** any more. The station is visibly staffed (not just the
ticket office) for much if not all the day and is quite busy. I agree
that it could do with a proper bit of redevelopment. The one staircase
that is somewhat objectionable is that leading to and from platform 4
- if nothing else it'd be good to have something done to improve it.

Perhaps I've avoided it after traumatic experiences, so you could be
right. But they are still long and steep.


Regarding connections at Queen's Road Peckham (QRP) and Peckham Rye -
for reasons unclear to me the new (Dec '08) timetable removed 2tph off-
peak from London Bridge via Peckham Rye, Tulse Hill and West Norwood
to Smitham, reducing the service from 8tph to 6tph. My recollection is
that these ran just in front of of or behind the SLL service, so their
loss from Peckham Rye, QRP and South Bermondsey wasn't a big deal.
However the loss of the SLL service would further reduce this to 4tph
from these stations, unless the SLL trains were replaced by something
else - I imagine that they would be but this is something to look out
for.

I was also thinking that, depending on timing, it might be more
convenient to change from a South Eastern service rather than ELLX, in
which case Queens Road wouldn't be an option and the full staircase
experience at Peckham Rye would be required.

I note that there is no mention of an interchange at Brixton, which is
so bleedin obviously needed.

Problem is it's so bleedin expensive, up on stilts towering above
Brixton! I recall the now defunct SLL travellers association
("SoLLTA") pushing for this in the eighties. I can't see it happening
imminently, but the pressure will surely grow as Brixtonians watch the
orange Overground trains passing above them/ passengers watch Brixton
passing them by below.

I've said beforehand that I sort of think that a new East Brixton
station wouldn't be such a bad thing - it wouldn't be a transport
interchange mecca, but it would serve the Brixton nonetheless.


I was wondering, with the withdrawal of Eurostars that way, if there
was space to build platforms on the Chatham/Catford side where there's
already a disused platform stub attached to the existing Brixton
station. But ELLX trains couldn't reach those tracks without a new
crossover somewhere, and they'd have to cross back again ...
Southeastern could use it though, and one change at Denmark Hill.



I wonder if the evening and Sunday services (both of which have
existed at different times) between Lewisham and Victoria will be
restored so that there is a full range of connections (and also what
hours the Bellingham service will run).

Any idea when the Lewisham to Victoria via P. Rye services last ran in
the evenings and on Sundays?

I was working near Victoria in 1998 and 1999, and during that time I'm
pretty sure the evening services were withdrawn, to my annoyance if I
went for a pint after. So probably 1999 for evenings (last train
changed from 2316 to 1946).

There were services on Sundays during the period when the Dome was
open, and for the remainder of a timetable period after it closed.
They went to Charlton rather than Bexleyheath, understandably. Also
extra trains the rest of the time, which partly made up for the loss
of evenings.


I suppose there's still the question of whether the Bellingham service
(aka 'SLL2') will actually happen - I very much hope it does. As well
as acting as a substitute for the withdrawn SLL service it would also
offer a brand new direct 2tph service to Victoria from Bellingham,
Catford and Crofton Park as well as an increased frequency of 4tph to
Victoria from Nunhead as well. One would hope it ran every day, all
day of course!

Not so long ago there were no local Sunday services on the Catford
line, just extra stops at Denmark, Peckham, Catford and Bellingham for
Dover services, so things can improve.

The Sunday service, when introduced, went from Victoria rather than
Blackfriars.