Bexley leader lobbies Thameslink for Belvedere and Erith stops

Tory leader Teresa O’Neill on Tuesday said she had written to Thameslink management requesting two new riverside stops at Belvedere and Erith, in a service which would see trains run twice an hour in each direction.

The new stations would serve alongside current stops on the line at Slade Green and Abbey Wood.

The service runs between Rainham in Kent and Luton, with stops including London Bridge, London Blackfriars, City Thameslink, Farringdon, St Pancras International and Luton Airport.

“Thameslink is particularly important to Bexley because of the limited travel options available to our residents,” Cllr O’Neill said.

“The infrastructure is in place and the change would be relatively easy to make.

“I have contacted Tom Moran, the managing director of Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR), to ask for the extra stops, explaining that they would create new opportunities and make life easier for local people.”

Cllr O’Neill said she had also recently met with senior GTR staff to make the case for the extra stops.

However, Cllr O’Neill warned even if GTR agree to the proposal, the timetable changes may take some time to implement.

The local democracy reporting service has contacted GTR for comment.

If given the go-ahead, the changes would be a welcome boost to a part of London starved of public transport options.

Last month it was revealed a planned extension of the Docklands Light Railway (DLR) to Thamesmead could be axed due to Transport for London’s financial plight being worsened by the coronavirus pandemic.

It came after another south-east London project, the extension of the Bakerloo Line to Lewisham and potentially beyond to Bromley, was also placed into jeopardy by TfL’s tumultuous position.

In addition, the Crossrail project which would link to Abbey Wood is also unlikely to be finished until 2022 - three years behind schedule.