News on rail services from Bowes Park

Hello all,

I thought it would be interesting to share some developments which will affect rail services from Bowes Park. With the new Thameslink Great Northern franchise, which is already in place there are a number of key changes happening in the near future and over the next few years.

Here's a summary:

26th July 2015 - Southern rail services become part of the Thameslink franchise

This means that the services from places as far afield as Milton Keynes, Southampton, Victoria, Brighton and Ashford are managed by the same operator. This will have little practical effect on passengers, but brings together services which will be linked by the new Thameslink service (by 2018, see below) Map here: http://maps.dft.gov.uk/tsgn/

December 2015 - New timetable with more services to Moorgate

Most weekend and early morning and late night trains will run to Moorgate via Highbury & Islington rather than to King's Cross with services from Moorgate operating later into the evening on weekdays too. This will provide good access to the Overground at Highbury & Islington and Old Street at the weekend.

May 2018 - More services

More peak services will operate to/from Moorgate to address crowding – providing nearly 20% more carriages across the three-hour peak. Off-peak trains will increase to four trains per hour from 3 trains per hour today.

2018 (date unspecified) - new trains on Moorgate services

I quote from the train operating company 'new trains will provide a metro-style layout with more capacity, improved reliability, air conditioning and passenger information systems that can be remotely updated to provide real-time travel information'

December 2018 - some services on the Welwyn line will run through Central London

This is as a result of the completion of the Thameslink programme and will allow travel from Bowes Park to locations such as Farringdon (change for Crossrail), Blackfriars (walk to the Tate Modern), Brighton (day at the seaside) with only one change of train, at either Alexandra Palace or Finsbury Park. This is a significant benefit for people in Bounds Green/Bowes Park and worth knowing about! Timetables are not yet set, with this will improve travel times by rail to a wide range of places, as shown in the map linked above.

Hope this is useful - these improvements should make our area an even better place to live and encourage more investment in the area, developing Myddleton Road too.

2 members like this

Attachments:

Route_Factsheet_1_Great_Northern_inner_suburban_services.pdf, 986 KB

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Permalink Reply by Richard McConnell on November 10, 2015 at 20:49

Hi All,

I've just done something I probably should have done from the start and checked the train times from Bowes Park on the 13th of December, as discussed all has changed from this date ! :)

https://www.thetrainline.com/train-times/bowes-park-to-moorgate/13-...

Richard

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Permalink Reply by Donald Smith on November 12, 2015 at 12:34

TFL FARES FROM 2nd JANUARY 2016 ANNOUNCED!

Please note that the new rail and bus Fares from 2nd January 2016 have been announced, see separate discussion at http://www.bowesandbounds.org/forum/topics/md1562-london-s-transpor...

The GLA decision paper MD1562 is attached

Attachments:

MD1562 Fares PDF_0.pdf, 324 KB

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Permalink Reply by Richard McConnell on November 10, 2015 at 8:21

Thanks Alex - really great news ! :)

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Permalink Reply by Donald Smith on December 8, 2015 at 12:57

Govia Thameslink Railway have published the briefing above. Please take notice that Network Rail will be undertaking works to the station footbridge at New Southgate Station over Christmas

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Permalink Reply by Donald Smith on December 14, 2015 at 15:29

TICKETING Oyster Zone 1-9

Zone 1-9 Travelcard

Question No: 2015/3789 Andrew Dismore

A constituent has written to me to complain that she has been unable to purchase a travelcard zones 1-9 from her local station, Oakleigh Park, which is operated by Thameslink and Great Northern. Neither is this ticket available from the station vending machines. The issue seems to be that this ticket type is not programmed into the rail computer system. Why, if we are supposed to have an integrated transport system, are Network Rail's systems not programmed to include a zone 1-9 travelcard; when this anomaly will be corrected; and how can she claim the difference in fare between what the journey actually cost on her oyster card and the right fare which she should have been able to pay with a discounted travelcard?

The Mayoral response

I'm sorry that your constituent had this experience. The failure to provide your constituent with a discounted zone 1-9 off-peak Travelcard when she presented her Network Railcard at Oakleigh Park ticket office was incorrect and appears to have been due to a staff training issue for the Train Operator at this location. TfL has raised this with Thameslink Great Northern to prevent this from happening again. TfL will also contact your constituent to determine the best way to provide her with a payment to reflect the excess fare paid and poor service that she received.

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Permalink Reply by Donald Smith on December 15, 2015 at 16:02

Sunday Service on Great Northern 13th December

WANTED: News of any advance information provided to potential travellers on Great Northern or of any rail replacement buses operated (or refunds offered), please?

No service on Hertford Loop today: Temporary Shortage of Drivers!‏

(edited info) There are two agreements still in place on the GN that have given rise to this problem. Firstly, Drivers can opt out of ALL Sunday working. Secondly, even if they have not taken this option, they can still opt not to work a Sunday.... that's ANY Sunday, INCLUDING rostered ones.... provided they give at least 7 days notice. The railway [timetables] trains SEVEN days a week, so how anyone can possibly allow an agreement that COULD result in having no drivers available whatsoever on a Sunday ........

This agreement was made by long ago by the National Union of Railmen and has applied to previous operators such as National Express, West Anglia , Great Northern (WAGN)_ and First Capital Connect (FCC)

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Permalink Reply by Matthew Clark on September 26, 2016 at 19:52

Latest update - consultation on rail services from Bowes Park from 2018 launched in September 2016, including improving the frequency of services in the evenings and weekends.

Proposals include:

- Morning high peak (arriving at Moorgate from 0800-0959)

From Hertford North 6 trains per hour

From Gordon Hill 4 trains per hour

Have your say here:

http://www.thameslinkrailway.com/your-journey/timetable-consultation

Interchange at Alexandra Palace or Finsbury Park will also let you access the revised Thameslink route.

You'll need to respond by Thursday 8th December.