With the return to work and school for many after the holiday season, travelling in London has changed this new year with the updated Transport for London train timetable - causing many problems for those travelling regularly.

 

On January 17th the Transport for London railway services were altered, including a cut in train services and a different timetable. Some of the changes include major cuts in the Shepperton branch of the trainline with services reducing to one train an hour to London which has greatly affected commuters to work and school. There has also been a lack of information as to if or when these train lines will be reinstated, causing further confusion among the public with a local secondary school student stating ‘it has been really inconvenient to [her] journey to school’ and another member of the public stating that she ‘finds it difficult to arrive at [her] work in central London on time, especially if there are delays’. However, while this may seem to cause issues for some, the South Western Railway stated that the cuts were a result of a shortage in staff due to the recent Omicron Covid-19 variant and so this new system could be beneficial and crucial for preventing the spread of the Covid - 19 virus.

 

In response to these alterations, Twickenham MP Munira Wilson and Richmond Council leader Gareth Roberts wrote a letter to South Western Railway to inquire further on the matter. They stated that ‘key workers and others who cannot work from home, school pupils and students are dependent on local rail services’ and that with the reduced frequency of trains they will be ‘less safe with Covid still circulating’. They wrote in an attempt to ‘reverse the rushed and unjustified decision’ of the changing of the timetables.

 

Covid-19 has had a severe impact on daily life : specifically work and school life and with the new changes made by TfL, essential journeys could become tougher.