Note: this is the second in a series of posts summarising the results of the local travel survey conducted by CCARA and Bromley Living Streets in late 2021. For more information about the survey, click here: CCARA Local Travel Survey.
Since conducting the survey, services to Beckenham Junction and Blackfriars have been reinstated following a long campaign by CCARA chair Cllr Chloe-Jane Ross, thanks to everyone that signed CCARA’s petition. However, direct services from Hayes to Cannon Street (stopping at Clock House and New Beckenham) were withdrawn from December 11th 2022. The survey responses show that frequent, reliable rail services are important to local residents’ ability to travel to work or school, access hospitals and public services.
This blog post draws on the results of our local travel survey, conducted in late 2021, which aimed to understand how Beckenham residents travel, what is currently working well, and the challenges faced for safe and sustainable travel.
Direct service Beckenham Junction to Blackfriars
The withdrawal of this direct Southeastern service between Beckenham Junction and Blackfriars affected 30% of employed residents and 11% of non-employed residents. Respondents noted that the alternative route, connecting to the Thameslink service at Herne Hill, is overcrowded and it is often difficult to make the connection when trains from Beckenham Junction are delayed.
| Impacts on commuting to work | Impacts on non-work travel |
| “Now everyone uses the train to Victoria to change at Herne Hill and the trains are really busy. If the Victoria train is delayed, you miss the connection at Herne Hill and this leads to overcrowding and delays again.” “I used to travel on this service to get to St Pancras, but now I cannot as changing at Herne Hill in peak time in a wheelchair is impossible” “Massive impact on the journey to Blackfriars, the interchange at Herne Hill is now horrendous” “I work all over central London and this has meant I now have circa 30 minutes extra on my commute each day” “Rather than travelling to Blackfriars I have to take the bus to Penge and catch the Overground. My commute has gone from ~60min to 80min. I am pressured from my work to go in more often but best-case is nearly 3hrs commuting each day, with services often cancelled or delayed. As a result I will potentially move away from Beckenham as it is no longer a viable location for city workers.” | “I used to use this service a lot to visit family in Farringdon. I can’t walk between stations or stand for too long now so it has hindered my ability to get the train” “Reduced rail services are a nuisance and lead to longer journeys with additional changes. Use of public transport should be encouraged not discouraged” |
Reduced frequencies between Beckenham Junction and London Bridge (via Crystal Palace)
This affected 19% of employed residents, and 12% of non-employed residents. Note – since this survey was conducted, the frequency of Beckenham Junction to London Bridge trains has improved from 90-minute frequencies to 30-minute frequencies (peak-hour) and 60-minute frequencies (off-peak).
| Impacts on commuting to work | Impacts on non-work travel |
| “I used to be able to take on train to and from work. Now, I have to take a minimum of two trains, as well as a bus. Planning is much more difficult, as trains can be cancelled and the timing of buses is not reliable.” “The change from regular half hour service to every 90 minutes means the service is almost unusable and highly inconvenient for me to travel to and from London Bridge which I do regularly” “The reduction in the services Beckenham Junction to London Bridge via Crystal Palace is a problem; it means starting journeys extra early (in order to arrive at work on time) and returning home much later due to reduction in services” | “I would take the train everyday to pick up my grandson from school and at weekends. The service is extreme unreliable apart from being infrequent” “I have to visit Guy’s Hospital frequently and used to take the train from Beckenham Junction directly to London Bridge. Now my husband has to drive me to Hayes Station. If I go to New Beckenham they are less frequent, and some trains from Hayes don’t always stop there. I used to return direct to Beckenham Junction where I could take taxi home if husband not available. Now I have to take Hayes train and phone home for a lift.” “As a regular patient at Moorfields in City Road the London Bridge station is important to connect with bus. Have difficulty in using New Beckenham as visually impaired.” “As I am retired I am able to spend extra time travelling but it causes me inconvenience as I have to travel to Victoria and then take the underground. Thankfully I am able bodied as it involves a lot of extra walking.“ “I have to drive to more distant train stations with my disabled son to get him to city centre hospital appointments. I have had to take longer to get to work and missed key business opportunities due to less frequent and reliable transport opportunities” |
Reduced frequencies between Clock House/New Beckenham and Charing Cross
Lastly, the reduced service frequency between New Beckenham and Charing Cross affected 20% of workers and 15% or non-employed residents. Note – since this survey was conducted, the frequency of these trains has improved. See More trains back in Southeastern’s timetable.
| Impacts on commuting to work | Impacts on non-work travel |
| “The trains are less frequent, I am less inclined to commute in to central London as I have to plan carefully around the few trains that run” “Reduced service in evenings from Victoria and Waterloo East make it less relaxing when out I London. Need to watch the clock or leave earlier than ideal to get home.” “The change from regular half hour service to every 90 minutes means the service is almost unusable and highly inconvenient for me to travel to and from London Bridge which I do regularly” “The reduction in the services Beckenham Junction to London Bridge via Crystal Palace is a problem; it means starting journeys extra early (in order to arrive at work on time) and returning home much later due to reduction in services” | “We have curtailed travel into London for the theatre or museums or shopping and try to shop online when possible.” “South Bank and Central London cinema, theatre and restaurants are harder to access” “Reducing the service to 1 train per half-hour makes it harder to link rail journeys to appointments in the City especially on Sunday. Instead I will travel by bicycle or car. Increasingly by car as I grow older.“ |
Copers Cope Area Residents' Association (CCARA) & West Beckenham Residents' Association (WBRA) 
We’ve also lost the 15 minute service between Victoria and Beckenham Junction from 20:58 to close down. They’re now every 30 minutes. Trains are still busy after this time now that we’re post pandemic. People are returning to central London to visit bars, theatres, not to mention late night working. The return of the 15 minute service would be welcome.