The line has been closed between South Tottenham and Barking since a freight train derailed near Barking on Friday, 23rd October, reports Marco Marcelline
Commuters and rail users have slammed Transport for London (TfL) for its refusal to run rail replacement buses along the Suffragette Line, which is suspended between South Tottenham and Barking until Tuesday (10th November).
The line has been closed for close to two weeks after a freight train derailed near Barking on Friday, 23rd October.
Affected Waltham Forest stations are Blackhorse Road, Walthamstow Queens Road, Leyton Midland Road and Leytonstone High Road.
According to train operator c2c, around 1.2km of track requires replacement, and due to the severity of the damage, some parts of the railway need to be completely rebuilt.
TfL has since come under fire for not running a rail replacement bus service for affected commuters, with the organisation having deemed that existing local bus services provide “sufficient alternative travel options” along the route.
Graham Larkbey, chair of the Barking-Gospel Oak Rail User Group, criticised the move, telling the Echo: “Why has TfL suddenly ditched its long-established policy of providing buses and abandoned people to sink or swim this time – particularly as Mondays to Fridays are involved, when more people need to travel?
“They tell us that the level of complaints they’ve received so far is low to non-existent, but that’s irrelevant – people are more concerned with finding an alternative route than complaining to station staff (whom they know are not to blame anyway) and probably have no idea who else they can complain to. Leaving everyone to muddle along as best they can is simply not acceptable.”
He added: “The line cuts across the grain of the main road and rail network in a number of places and alternative routes are not always obvious or readily available. The elderly, the mobility-impaired, the vulnerable, people who do not know the area, and those who have difficulty in navigating the wider network or who are unable to use online resources are particularly badly affected.”
A TfL spokesperson said: “We are sorry to customers affected by the continued closure of the Suffragette line following a freight train derailment near Barking, which caused significant damage to Network Rail infrastructure.
“While repairs continue, Transport for London and our operator, First Rail London, have carefully considered the alternative transport available for customers, including the provision of rail replacement buses. Existing local bus services provide sufficient alternative travel options along the affected section of the route, so we have focused on providing clear travel information at stations and through our customer communications channels to help people complete their journeys.
“We appreciate that this disruption is frustrating and remain in regular contact with Network Rail as repair work progresses to help ensure the line reopens as quickly as possible.”
You can plan your journey via TfL here
Read more: No Suffragette Lines to stop at Waltham Forest stations for another week
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