Story by Rory Poulter

Plans to make permanent changes to 'lifeline' train services through the borough have been deferred.

South Western Railways (SWR) planned to introduce a new timetable in December which would have applied to services in and out of Waterloo from Kingston, Norbiton, New Malden and Worcester Park.

The wide-ranging changes would also have applied to services through St Margarets, Whitton, Hampton, Teddington, Mortlake and East Sheen.

The net effect of the decision to defer the changes is that services will largely remain at the current level – but for some small improvements – which is likely to result in overcrowding at peak times.

SWR is under increasing pressure from the government to cut its operating costs and reduce frequency on less profitable routes. 

Some £16 billion of taxpayer funds were used to support rail companies during the pandemic. Now the Transport Secretary, Grant Shapps, is demanding train operators focus on 'value for money', which will result in sweeping cuts to services.

There is some confusion over whether the decision to defer the timetable changes due at the end of the year is good or bad news for passengers.

Today, SWR suggested that travellers might be disappointed that the planned December timetable changes will not be implemented. It suggested the new timetable would have improved services, but that the lack of travellers meant it is not currently possible to go ahead.

The company said: "Over the past 12 weeks, SWR has seen its overall customer journeys stabilise at 70% of pre-Covid levels.

"While off peak travel has returned strongly to 100% of pre-Covid trips, commuters have been slower to return making just 53% of the peak journeys they did before the pandemic.

"In light of these figures and the ongoing cost challenge facing the rail industry, SWR, Network Rail and the Department for Transport have decided to defer the timetable changes set out in the December 2022 consultation.

"Instead, SWR will continue with its current service levels in December, with a limited number of targeted interventions to optimise services where demand has returned quickest.

"SWR and Network Rail will continue to monitor customer behaviour and act with agility to meet increased demand, subject to funding being agreed with the Department for Transport."

SWR's Managing Director, Claire Mann, said: "The Covid pandemic has fundamentally changed the way we work, play and travel, and the long-term future of the railway depends on it adapting to the new normal.

"Our new business plan does just this, striking the right balance between reducing the cost to taxpayers, who have subsidised the railway to the tune of £16 billion since the start of the pandemic, and delivering the improvements our customers want to see.

"Alongside our business plan, we have made the joint decision with the Department for Transport and Network Rail to defer our planned December 2022 timetable changes.

"While we know this will come as a disappointment to some of our customers, we cannot justify spending taxpayers' money on a further timetable uplift while the number of commuter journeys sit at around 50% of pre-pandemic levels."

An SWR spokesman added: "The December 2022 changes would have represented an increase on current service levels, however they would have been a decrease from pre-pandemic levels."