An upgrade for Thameslink
Chuka Umunna, Labour’s Parliamentary candidate for Streatham, welcomes the use of automatically operated trains on Thameslink but continues opposition to the proposal to sever Streatham and other Wimbledon Loop stations from the rest of the Thameslink line.
Thameslink, the cross-London rail route which serves Streatham and Tulse Hill is to receive an upgrade allowing the use of automatically-operated trains as part of its £5.5bn investment programme. This innovation will be a first for the UK rail network, with the new trains being driven under computer control, the first time such technology has been implemented on a commuter mainline anywhere in the world.
Automatic train control increases the consistency of train timings by reducing the time needed for acceleration and braking at stations. The new system, which will initially be implemented on the line’s busiest central section, will mean Thameslink can run 30 trains an hour from 2015, as close as two minutes apart. Similar technology has already improved frequencies on the Docklands Light Railway and some London Underground lines, but has not yet been used on the overground network. The trains will still have drivers, and will retain manual controls for emergencies.
This announcement follows the proposal by Network Rail that all trains on the Thameslink line serving Streatham and Tulse Hill will terminate at Blackfriars from 2015. Chuka Umunna, Labour’s Parliamentary Candidate for Streatham, who has campaigned against the proposal, stressed the need to ensure that improvements are shared equally across the network:
“I welcome the possibility for increased train frequency on the Thameslink route. However, in order to bring benefits to rail users, this must be matched by a commitment to maintain the services currently available from Streatham and Tulse Hill Stations.”
Mr Umunna has written to Transport Secretary Geoff Hoon against the proposal to terminate trains at Blackfriars, outlining the importance of the line’s links to the City, King’s Cross and Luton Airport for passengers locally. The letter also takes issue with Network Rail’s failure to properly consult rail users on the changes. As part of the campaign, hundreds of passengers signed a petition opposing the changes and many joined the Save Our South West London Thameslink Services” Facebook Group established by Umunna.
