A public consultation on plans to shut the ticket offices at Rotherhithe and Surrey Quays Station is currently under way.
The plans have been submitted by Arriva Rail London, the company which runs the London Overground concession for Transport for London.
ARL says that it is proposals include making staff more visible and available at stations, providing assistance and information where it is most needed, and modernising the process for selling tickets to reflect changes in how people are paying for their travel.
As part of this, it is now consulting with rail industry bodies and London TravelWatch about closing ticket offices at 51 stations where there are fewer than 12 ticket sales per hour.
The ticket offices at Rotherhithe and Surrey Quays are already only open for 15 hours a week (weekdays 7am-10am).
London TravelWatch (LTW) is seeking views on the ticket office proposals from passengers and stakeholders on its website until Thursday 11 October 2018 so that they can be taken into account before any decisions are made.
RMT union general secretary Mick Cash said: “I am calling on Mayor of London Sadiq Khan to oppose this retrograde plan for wholesale closures in the strongest possible terms. Ticket offices play a crucial role at train stations.
“London needs to welcome its passengers, visitors and tourists not with a machine, but a welcoming and friendly ticket office who can provide a full range of services.
“This is just the latest attack on a properly staffed, safe, secure and accessible railway for all and RMT is determined to halt these plans in their tracks.”
Two opportunities for SE16 locals to get help developing business ideas. The support is offered by Tree Shepherd and is funded by Canada Water developer British Land.
Six months after dockless cycle hire was introduced in Rotherhithe and Bermondsey, one of the two operators has withdrawn from the borough of Southwark.
Mobike (whose bikes have orange wheels) received a lot of publicity for its decision to cease operations in Manchester, but at the same time it drastically reduced its London operating area, withdrawing from Southwark entirely, leaving its central London zone covering parts of Camden and Islington.
Rival firm Ofo (yellow bikes) continues to serve the whole borough of Southwark.
A large-scale commercial event will take over the northern part of Southwark Park between November and early January.
According to the licensing application, “Southwark Park Lantern & Lights Festival is a unique lantern experience themed around Alice in Wonderland. The experience will take place in the Northern section of Southwark Park. Lanterns are being designed around the popular children’s classic, Alice in Wonderland and will include a walk through the story created in lantern format.
“The event has been designed to be interactive using slides and other audio visual effects to explore the lanterns. There will also be food and beverage traders, entertainers on the bandstand and special effects. The event will be ticketed and both pre-sale and on the door tickets will be available.
“The event is created by Things to Do Ltd. Unusual Expo have designed the lanterns and Continental Drifts will manage the event.
“It is likely there will be two bars at the event which will be in two separate areas. There will be on bar at the bandstand area as well as one location on the lights route.”
The owners of the Canary Wharf estate have tabled a formal objection to British Land’s plans for the redevelopment of Canada Water, claiming that not enough transport improvements have been proposed.
A note prepared on behalf of Canary Wharf by consultants Steer notes that the Canada Water scheme is comparable in scale to the Battersea Power Station development, where a £1 billion extension of the Northern line is under construction.
Canary Wharf claims that the Canada Water developers have underestimated the likely demand on the Jubilee line generated by the new homes and offices, and overestimated the available capacity on the tube and at stations.
They suggest that the Bakerloo line extension – currently planned to head to Lewisham via Old Kent Road and New Cross – should be diverted to Canada Water and Canary Wharf.
“In considering the Canada Water Masterplan proposals we would like to remind you of our previous proposal to extend the Bakerloo line from Elephant & Castle to Charlton via Surrey Quays and Canary Wharf,” wrote Canary Wharf Group’s Jason Larkin in his letter to Southwark Council planners.
“This scheme would provide significantly improved public transport capacity to the area around Canada Water and on the Isle of Dogs, and would help the development aspirations of both LBS and London Borough of Tower Hamlets.
“We have also developed a scheme to provide a new link from Canary Wharf to Euston via the City as part of the DfT’s recent call for market-led rail proposals.
“This scheme would also support growth in Southwark by helping relieve congestion on the Jubilee line.”
Update Friday 31 August – join statement from British Land and Canary Wharf Group:
“It is not unusual for developers to submit objections to neighbouring schemes and often these are technical in nature and relate to wider issues beyond the narrow confines of the application in question. This is very much the case with CWG’s approach to the Canada Water Masterplan, where the objections focus predominantly around transport infrastructure for an ever growing East London where there is much demand for more jobs and homes.
“Both parties have been engaged in ongoing discussions, which are continuing (and involve in some cases Transport for London). In addition the transport consultants for the respective parties are reviewing assumptions in the modelling for Canada Water and the Jubilee Line.
“It is anticipated that a number of issues will be resolved over the coming weeks as those discussions continue and in advance of the application being considered by the London Borough of Southwark later this year.”
Plans to bring Transport for London’s Santander Cycles bike hire scheme to Rotherhithe remain stalled due to a funding gap, says the leader of Southwark Council.
Surrey Docks Lib Dem councillor Jane Salmon tabled this question at July’s Council Assembly meeting: “Will the council write to Transport for London (TfL) and commit to pay its share to developing the 40-50 stations required for a Rotherhithe expansion of the Bike Hire Scheme?”
Council leader Peter John replied: “The council has been lobbying Transport for London (TfL) and the Mayor to expand the Santander bike hire scheme further in Southwark including to the Rotherhithe peninsular.
“TfL support our ambition to expand but have not committed the funding that is required.
“The council has been working to try and secure third party funding and has already secured developer contributions for cycle docking stations, in addition to our commitment to contribute £2m to fund the expansion.
“This does not meet the level needed so we will continue to look for new ways to secure the money needed and will continue to make the case to City Hall for expansion.
“Alongside this, we have been looking at other models which will enable access to cycle hire throughout the borough, and particularly our ambition to make cycling more accessible for all – not just those who are already experienced cyclists.”
Earlier this year the council allowed dockless cycle hire providers Mobike and Ofo to begin operations in the borough.
Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has answered a series of written questions about the proposed Rotherhithe to Canary Wharf bridge tabled by Labour London Assembly member Tom Copley.
Tom Copley: I fully support your manifesto commitment to deliver a crossing between Rotherhithe and Canary Wharf. A number of logistical issues have been raised with me regarding placing a bridge in that location. Will Transport for London give full consideration to placing the crossing in a tunnel instead?
Sadiq Khan: Transport for London has carried out a number of assessments to explore a variety of crossing options, including a tunnel. This was reported as part of a recent public consultation and further information can be found at: https://consultations.tfl.gov.uk/rivercrossings/rotherhithe-canarywharf/
Tom Copley: What assessment has Transport for London made of the disadvantages of an opening bridge, which would have to be closed to pedestrians and cyclists while it is open, vs a tunnel between Rotherhithe and Canary Wharf?
Sadiq Khan: As described in the response to Mayor’s Question 2018/1913, Transport for London’s assessment of different crossing options was reported as part of the recent consultation. This explained that, while users of a tunnel would not be affected by river vessels, this would be a more expensive option than a bridge and could also have significant environmental impacts on the river. Further information is provided in the consultation materials.
Tom Copley: What assessment has Transport for London made of the disadvantages of an opening bridge, which would have to be closed to pedestrians and cyclists while it is open, vs a tunnel between Rotherhithe and Canary Wharf?
Sadiq Khan: As described in the response to Mayor’s Question 2018/1913, Transport for London’s assessment of different crossing options was reported as part of the recent consultation. This explained that, while users of a tunnel would not be affected by river vessels, this would be a more expensive option than a bridge and could also have significant environmental impacts on the river. Further information is provided in the consultation materials.
Tom Copley: Has an assessment been made by Transport for London (TfL) comparing the capital cost of an opening bridge vs a tunnel between Rotherhithe and Canary Wharf and if not will TfL conduct one?
Sadiq Khan: Yes. An assessment comparing the capital cost of an opening bridge versus a tunnel was presented as part of Transport for London’s recent consultation. Further information can be found in the Background to Consultation Report, published here:
Tom Copley: Has an assessment been made by Transport for London (TfL) comparing the capital cost of an opening bridge vs a tunnel between Rotherhithe and Canary Wharf and if not will TfL conduct one?
Sadiq Khan: Yes. An assessment comparing the ongoing maintenance cost of an opening bridge vs a tunnel was presented as part of TfL’s recent consultation. Further information can be found in the Background to Consultation Report, published here:
