Campaigners are demanding better after it was revealed that the train service on the Catford loop is substantially worse than the 1950s.

Statistics show that in 1956 there were 62 trains from Crofton Park to Blackfriars each day but today there are only 39.

At peak morning times in 1956 there were 14 trains but this has almost halved in 2015 to only eight trains at peak time.

Campaigner Michael Woodhead, 32, of Manwood Road, Crofton Park, said: “It has a big impact on commuters, and if anything goes wrong it descends into chaos.

“If you’re lucky enough to get on the train you can see that on all the other platforms going into London people just can’t get on and it’s only going to get worse.”

The number of passengers has increased rapidly as the area undergoes housing developments but the campaigners feel that the train service, run by Thameslink, does not meet demand.

News Shopper:

The campaigners have met with Thameslink representatives and MPs

The campaign, called the Cinderella Line, wants a better service overall for the Catford loop group of stations.

They say that at peak times the trains run at 130 per cent capacity and are only on time 55 per cent of the time.

Roger Perkins for Thameslink said: “We care deeply about the service on the Catford loop and met with Peckham Rye passenger representatives to discuss the service.

“We know we have to do better and have pledged to do that. Part of the issue is that improvement work at London Bridge has reduced capacity on the railway to such an extent that delays are up to four times harder to recover from – it’s a bit like driving on a motorway with one of the lanes closed: traffic can move smoothly but a single incident can cause far-reaching hold-ups.

“One of our morning services is, indeed, running 128% in excess of its acceptable capacity and others are busy too. We are introducing brand new trains that are specifically designed to address this. These trains are already out on test and we expect to bring these into service later this year.”