For the past four years we’ve held twice yearly meetings with GTR/ Great British Railways (GBR) to press for an improved service on the Caterham line, and in particular, more peak hours trains.
· Reduced train services from Kenley
· Reduced train services from Kenley – December 2022 update
· Train service on the Caterham branch
· Four years of action for Kenley, and more still to do
Up until recently, GTR/ GBR maintained that following changes in travel patterns following Covid there had not been a significant change in passenger numbers, and thus revenue, which would enable the operator to put on more trains. While passenger numbers were higher in absolute terms, peak time demand (the money-generating demand) remained at around the 70-75% pre-covid mark.
Given ongoing correspondence from residents, we’ve continued to emphasise the strong and consistent demand for additional services on the Caterham–London Victoria line.
At our last meeting, which was held with support from Chris Philp MP’s office, GTR/ GBR confirmed that the number of passengers now evidenced the need for additional peak hour services, and that timetable analysis indicates the network could accommodate two additional peak services in both the morning and evening without significant disruption.
However, the principal constraint to the additional service was the availability of rolling stock, requiring Government investment, and that reallocating stock from other routes would have implications elsewhere.
In light of GTR.GBR assessment of capacity and supporting data, elected representatives from Whyteleafe to South Croydon, spearheaded by Chris Philp MP and Claire Coutinho MP, wrote to the Department for Transport to make the case for the necessary rolling stock investment.
The response from the Secretary of State recognised that the principal constraint remains rolling stock availability and that any proposal requiring further public investment must also demonstrate a robust business case.
As your elected representatives, we will continue to work with GTR/GBR to make the case for investment in this line.
See below for an update from Chris Philp MP and the letter sent to the DfT.
