Changes to the rail network: will they improve Richmond's connectivity?

The South West Londoner stakes their social and work life on South Western Railway.

Take a look at any Tube map, and you'll notice a lot of white space in the bottom left-hand corner of the capital.

Aside from a few District and Northern Line stations, overground rail services are all that most people have to rely on.

Some stations only see a couple of trains an hour into central London, and last December SWR went on Britain's longest rail strike in history after a long dispute over guards on trains, which led to around 850 trains a day being cancelled.

It's fair to say that many South West Londoners want to see more public transport options and more regular services.

In this piece Local Democracy Reporter Sian Bayley examines what is being done to improve the public transport situation and how the coronavirus will affect the way we travel in the future.

Crossrail 2

The South West Main line, which runs between the South Coast through the commuter suburbs of Richmond and Kingston and into Waterloo is said to be one of the busiest and most congested routes in the country.

In Transport for London's consultation documents for Crossrail 2 it says that demand for National Rail services into Waterloo is forecast to increase by 40 per cent by 2043.

Which explains why you may have found yourself stuffed into other people's armpits on your way to work before the pandemic hit.

The plans for Crossrail 2 would connect the existing National Rail networks in Surrey and Hertfordshire with trains running through a new tunnel from Wimbledon to Tottenham Hale and New Southgate.

This would help to free up space on the South West Main Line.

All of the stations on the proposed South West branches would see more trains into London.

For example, along the Shepperton branch, up to eight trains per hour in each direction would serve Norbiton, Kingston and Hampton Wick.

In October last year the Department for Transport's Board Investment and Commercial Committee reviewed the Strategic Outline Business Case for Crossrail 2, and found it to be "technically robust, with no further work required."

But delays to Crossrail and issues with TfL's finances due to coronavirus mean the future of Crossrail 2 is uncertain.

A TfL spokesperson said: "We are seeking to work with the government on a new longer-term sustainable funding model, which is needed for transport in London beyond the period covered by our Emergency Budget.

"We will be reviewing our investment programme as part of this work and it is crucial for London's recovery that we can maintain our existing assets and continue to operate frequent, reliable services.

"Regarding Crossrail 2, our immediate priority in discussions with government is refreshing the 2015 safeguarding directions in order to protect the route from future development."

Northern Line Extension

Something that is definitely going ahead, however, is the Northern Line Extension, which will include two new stops at Nine Elms and Battersea Power Station.

Work is well underway, with the historic Tube logo, known as the roundel, already installed at both stations, which are scheduled to open in autumn next year.

This will help to improve the transport links in the area, which is undergoing regeneration, with thousands of new homes being built.

At the moment it takes about 40 minutes to travel into the city from the power station, involving a bus across Chelsea Bridge to catch the Circle or District Line from Sloane Square to the north of the river.

But locals will soon be able to get to the City and the West End in just 15 minutes according to TfL.

Overground

Every time you step on an Overground train and look up to see how many stops you are staying on for, you are confronted with the horror of several different orange maps.

And the doubt creeps in. Are you even on the right train?

The only time you may encounter the Overground in South West London is at Clapham Junction or Richmond, and it can only be used to go further north or east into the city, as it doesn't connect the two in the South West.

But for those who live near these stations, the Overground can be a convenient route through the city.

A survey released by You Gov London Omnibus this week (September 15) showed that Londoners are more likely to feel comfortable on the Overground than the Underground.

This may be due to the wider carriages that make it easier to social distance.

Uber Boat/Thames Clippers

With people still nervous about getting on the Tube, commuting by boat could be a new option for South West Londoners with plenty of fresh air and more space to social distance.

This summer Uber teamed up with Thames Clippers to allow users to book a seat on the river boats in advance.

In South West London a boat from Putney to Blackfriars will take you 56 minutes according to Uber, while Battersea Power Station to London Bridge City is 30 minutes.

However boats are only running to and from the Putney terminus and the city during rush hour.

For weekend and daytime services, Battersea Power Station is your best bet, running roughly every 30 minutes.

Thames Clippers tickets are still available to buy elsewhere and the boats remain part of the Oyster network.

Cycling infrastructure

Throughout lockdown cycling became a popular way for people to get around their local area as it was generally very quiet on the roads.

Transport for London has since created temporary upgrades to Cycle Superhighway 7 "to help people to walk and cycle more often, to reduce demand for public and private transport to essential trips only".

It has since started work on a cycle corridor to follow the Northern line from Colliers Wood to Elephant & Castle through Balham and Tooting in the hope of freeing up space on the Tube during peak periods.

While many have welcomed the safer cycling environment others have expressed concerns about increased traffic going down narrow roads.

Residents are encouraged to email TfL and the Mayor at [email protected] to provide feedback on the changes.