METROPOLITAN line commuters in Hillingdon will wait longer for their rush hour trains after London Underground bosses agreed to cut services on the Uxbridge branch.
Transport for London’s new Met line timetable adds two trains to the Uxbridge branch each off-peak hour, but takes two away at peak times when it is busiest.
They said this will be done to allow more of the new S-Stock trains to run on the route and to ‘better reflect demand’.
Amersham will gain two peak-time trains per hour as a result, but in off-peak hours none of the designated ‘fast’ trains will run to Amersham or Chesham. They will stop at all stations instead.
Angela Back, general line manager for the Metropolitan line at London Underground, said: “In December a new timetable will be introduced to the Metropolitan line to accommodate growing demand and enhance reliability.
“These changes will also allow the introduction of more of our new S-Stock trains, which have air conditioning, more space, lower floors and dedicated wheelchair space, making passengers’ journeys much more comfortable.”
Commuter Patti Alvarez travels from Ruislip to Uxbridge each week day.
She told the Gazette: “There are not enough trains as it is. Sometimes you can wait 15 minutes and when a train does arrive it is packed and you have to stand all the way.”
There are currently 10 trains running each hour to Uxbridge, and this will be cut to eight from December, while off-peak services will increase from six to eight per hour, resulting in the same service regularity throughout the day.
Uxbridge and South Ruislip MP John Randall (Con) said: “The thing that Met line users really want is reliability. If the trains are running well I don’t think the loss of one or two [per hour] will be dramatic.”
?Do you use the Met line at rush hour? How do you think the changes will affect your commute? Email jamescracknell@trinitysouth.co.uk or call 07795 811 367.
