Southeastern train service changes: MP makes gaff on what’s happening
A south east London MP has made gaffs while claiming credit for rail changes this weekend.
MP Louie French (Old Bexley and Sidcup) stated today “I’m delighted that Southeastern will start the loop service again on Monday” which is rather odd as they’ve already been running for many months after cuts.
In a video he then suggests it’s to extend to the off-peak. Nope.
What actually happens on Monday is the existing three services each way in peak periods change to six each way but again only during peaks. Welcome but it’s still a fraction of services throughout the day and there’s still no off-peak services throughout the day or evening as seen before 2022. There’s also none at weekends to link those on the Sidcup line to Abbey Wood and Elizabeth line services.
Given the growth of leisure travel that’s not the best.
Campaigns
He also states he welcomes changes after campaigning – without mentioning it was his party when in power that enacted various Southeastern cuts in 2022.
Those included cutting the fast service from Sidcup that ran to central London throughout the day as well as two trains per hour to Charing Cross on the Bexleyheath line. The Greenwich line also saw two trains per hour cut. That is outside his constituency but does show the scale of cuts inflicted on Southeastern by the Department for Transport – which control the service.
It’s not the first time French’s campaigns have raised eyebrows. He started a petition against tolls for the Blackwall and Silvertown tunnels (another project that started under his Tory colleagues who supported tolls) but when the consultation results came out in recent weeks the report revealed he never submitted the petition unlike others.
Perhaps his lack of knowledge on rail services is a reason why it’s seen such poor services for so long.
Dear me what a wally. His constant posts about ‘campaigning’ for these services are really grating. From the comments on these posts, it seems that they’re lapped up by local voters. Can’t get my head around people buying his rubbish.
Is this the same MP who gained a very nice mailing list of like-minded people on the back of said (unsubmitted) petition? I’ll bet if they offered him a chance to open the Silvertown tunnel he’d be there in a shot, hoping to get some column inches, all opposition forgotten until the next time.
Most if not all MPs when they start a petition are really looking for your details so they can send party political stuff. Most couldn’t care less about the actual issue. It’s to grab your info for their party’s benefit later on.
He banned me and several others from his Facebook page for holding opposing views. He comes across as vain and thin-skinned in my opinion.
He also claimed credit for the raising of the temporary speed limit from 40mph to 50mph and 70mph when that was what TfL had said they would do from the outset.
All he seems to set out to do is stir up hatred against London’s mayor, Sadiq Khan.