Comment

Glenn Wallis, Secretary, Barking-Gospel Oak Rail User Group

While the Barking-Gospel Oak Rail User Group (BGORUG) welcomes Transport for London’s hurried, last-minute action, in effect the can is just being kicked down the road to March, when there will still not be enough trains to operate the timetable.

There is no way that any Class 710s can be in passenger service by then. We believe May is the earliest possible date.

This solution of ‘sweating’ the Class 378 fleet is inevitably going to increase cancellations for all of TfL’s orbital passengers.

BGORUG has been pressing TfL to secure an alternative fleet of electric trains, to guarantee operation of the timetable, for the past six months. If it had acted then, such a fleet would be ready for deployment by now.

BGORUG is seeking an urgent meeting with TfL to discuss the operation of the proposed month’s free travel. TfL has a reputation for rejecting high numbers of refund claims, and London TravelWatch has upheld appeals.