Local businesses in a South London neighbourhood are ‘heartbroken’ after cuts to a train timetable have reduced the number of customers in the area, with one shopkeeper fearing he may have to close his 40-year-old business as a result.
Albany Park sits between Sidcup and Bexley town centre in South London.
The parade of shops in the area are centred around a train station dating back to 1935.
However, a timetable change from Southeastern Railway last December saw the number of off-peak and weekend trains going through the station on the Sidcup line being cut in half, from four trains an hour to two.
The change also saw the removal of the ‘Loop’ line connecting Albany Park station to Abbey Wood, where commuters could board the Elizabeth line.
While several trains at peak times have been added in the latest May timetable, locals may still be left waiting up to half an hour for direct trains to and from central stations such as Waterloo and Charing Cross.
Mick Vadukul, 70, has owned the Homethrift DIY shop in Albany Park for the past 40 years, and said he has noticed a drop in sales since the December change.
Mr Vadukul told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: “Recently there has been less flow of customers.
"People just get fed up and go somewhere else… I would guess that they are going to close the station. I wouldn’t be surprised with the way things are.”
The shop owner, who lives in Plumstead, said the new timetable has been a “pain in the neck” when trying to get to work in the morning.
He said he is often unsure of whether trains are cancelled or not, and the extra journey time for customers has affected trade in the area.
Mr Vadukul: “There isn’t a shop like mine anywhere near so people who want to come to the shop by train from Bexley or Crayford have to wait for two trains before they come to Albany Park… If it doesn’t change I might have to close it, and this is the only [DIY] shop around here but I might have to close it down. I can’t keep going on all the time.”
Bexley Council has criticised Southeastern for the change in services across the Bexleyheath and Sidcup lines, and invited the rail company to a council meeting to discuss the new schedule last November.
Regarding Albany Park station, Labour Councillor Daniel Francis said at the meeting: “People there really feel that going to a two-train-an-hour service, certainly during off-peak, makes it seem like a Kent village.”
Scott Brightwell, operations and safety director for Southeastern, said at the meeting that data had shown Albany Park station was not used heavily outside of peak times.
Managing director Steve White also said the rail company was exploring ways to better staff their stations.
James Williams, 49, opened The Anchor fish and chip shop outside Albany Park station six months ago.
The takeaway owner said that reductions in the number of trains going through the station, such as on strike days, severely affects the footfall that the business sees.
Mr Williams told the LDRS: “When the trains come, you get a whole crowd of people coming through, coming past and grabbing a bag of chips as they’re walking away, a quick snack for them.
"When that doesn’t happen, you have to wait for platforms like Uber, JustEat, Deliveroo to take you on.”
The owner said he has struggled to pay bills in recent months due to serving fewer customers and rising costs, with the price of potatoes over doubling in the past three weeks.
He said it’s been “heartbreaking” to see the effect the passing trade has had on local businesses, such as a neighbour who plans to open a coffee kiosk in the station this summer.
He said: “He’s going to depend on passengers from the trains. It’s going to be hard work. He doesn’t realise what’s going to hit him when he opens up… That’s just going to destroy him.
"He’s spent a fortune building it up and it’s going to open sometime in July. When he realises the trains are not coming as often as they should and the station is not opening, who’s he going to sell to? It’s a shame, it’s quite a busy area.
"But when trains don’t come, people have to find alternative routes to come up this end.”
Gareth Morgan, 60, owns the Village Emporium card shop at Albany Park.
Having run the shop for over 30 years, Mr Morgan said he hasn’t noticed a great change in customers since the timetable change.
He told the LDRS: “For us, it hasn’t hit us very hard, but I know for some businesses it has hit them. There’s a lack of footfall from commuters basically.”
He added: “I think a lot of our trade is local trade as opposed to commuters. So commuters who don’t use the station because of the lack of trains still come to us to get their party products and cards.”
Conservative Councillors Patrick Adams, Nick O’Hare and David Leaf represent the Blendon and Penhill ward for Bexley Council.
They told the LDRS that they had met with residents and businesses in Albany Park, and shared their frustration with the December timetable changes.
The councillors said: “Local businesses and small shops are the backbone of our economy and we recognise the impact that these changes have had on them with commuters using Albany Park less and choosing other stations with more services to travel from instead.
"We have worked with the London Borough of Bexley and our local Conservative MPs to oppose these changes and campaign for a reinstatement of trains to stop at the station.”
They added: “Southeastern have assured us that services will continue to run to Albany Park, but we, the council and Louie French MP will keep pressing them to reinstate the loop line service to connect directly to the Elizabeth line [in Abbey Wood], for more trains to stop at Albany Park, and for access for all funding so lifts can be installed at the station to make it fully accessible with step-free access.”
A Bexley Council spokesperson told the LDRS that the council was disappointed about the lack of consultation on the December timetable change.
"They said the new timetable has given less choice to passengers despite Southeastern stating the changes were made in response to changes in demand and travel patterns.
They added: “The London Borough of Bexley are continuing to lobby Southeastern regarding the impact of the timetable changes and have been assured that there are no plans to close Albany Park Station.
"Along with our partners we offer a range of support for small and medium businesses across the borough and will be reaching out to affected businesses to ensure they can access the relevant support needed. Further details can be found on the Bexley Business and Employment website.”
Scott Brightwell, Operations and Safety Director for Southeastern, told the LDRS that the rail company had seen significant changes in the demand for its services since the pandemic.
He said many commuters appeared to have continued to work from home more frequently as a result.
Mr Brightwell said: “We monitor demand for our services very carefully across all our routes to try and ensure we run services when and where they are most needed.
"Southeastern is committed to delivering a better, more reliable and more sustainable railway across our network and we’ll continue to monitor demand on the Sidcup line, including at Albany Park, and review customer feedback.”
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Picture 1: A general view of the row of shops Albany Park station. Permission for use by all LDRS partners. Credit: Facundo Arrizabalaga/MyLondon
Picture 2: Mick Vadukul, 70, has owned the Homethrift DIY shop in Albany Park for the past 40 years. Permission for use by all LDRS partners. Credit: Facundo Arrizabalaga/MyLondon
Picture 3: Louie French MP, Conservative Councillor David Leaf and Conservative Councillor Richard Diment shown campaigning against the Southeastern Railway timetable changes outside Albany Park station. Permission for use by all LDRS partners. Credit: Louie French MP
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