Save our rail services!
from: Kings College Hospital Foundation Trust Members’ Newsletter summer 2009
By lobbying your local MP, you can help save vital local rail services which bring thousands of patients, staff and visitors to the hospital each day.
The South London Line is a loop service that operates between Victoria and London Bridge via Denmark Hill. It currently provides two trains an hour between these major London terminals all day, everyday; a crucial link for people with hospital appointments, visiting relatives or going to work each day. Impact on patients, staff and visitors In 2007 we were told by rail authorities that our link to London Bridge would be cut to accommodate the major platform changes needed as part of the Thameslink project. At the time, we were reassured that the direct link to Victoria would be retained with a new service from Victoria to Bellingham.
This year, rail authorities announced that this new service would not be provided either. It was felt that Transport for London’s East London Line Extension would be an adequate, alternative option, providing links to Clapham Junction (to change for Victoria) and trains to Peckham Rye (to change for London Bridge). This would mean extra changes for people travelling to and from Denmark Hill, extra delays to work journeys and further inconvenience for patients, staff and visitors. Communities, services and businesses are built on effective rail links.
In our case, accessing services and getting to work are important reasons for helping people decide where they receive their care or build their careers. We feel rail authorities do not always appreciate this but we understand politicians might.