Ponders End residents demand improvements to rail services

A newly-nationalised rail operator says it has “no current plans” for changes at the station, reports James Cracknell

A recently-nationalised rail operator is being urged to boost service frequency in Ponders End.

But Greater Anglia, which was taken back into public ownership last year, says there are “currently no planned changes” to the timetable for services at Ponders End Station.

This is despite Ponders End being the most poorly served of the borough’s four West Anglia Main Line stations – with Enfield Lock, Brimsdown and Meridian Water all served by more trains.

Enfield Lock and Meridian Water stations both benefit from regular weekday services to Stratford, while Brimsdown recently benefited from a timetable change that now sees evening services to Cambridge stopping at the station.

But Ponders End only has two trains per hour through almost the whole day, with just a single additional service during the morning peak.

The station also suffers from having platforms too short for Greater Anglia’s ten-car trains, meaning doors in rear carriages cannot open.

Local resident Mike Cooper has grown so frustrated with the lack of improvements that he recently conducted a survey of his neighbours to establish what demand there was for more frequent trains at Ponders End.

Mike found that, among 252 Ponders End residents he surveyed, 96% believe the current frequency of two trains per hour is insufficient and 99% support increasing services to at least three trains per hour.

The survey also highlighted problems, with 95% of people experiencing overcrowding and 92% regularly having to stand for their journeys.

“I have lived here for five years and the trains have always been a sticking point for me,” Mike told the Dispatch. “When you live in London you expect to be able to get anywhere conveniently, but these trains are often late, and they sometimes get cancelled or delayed.

“The service is a bit crap really.”

The area around Ponders End Station has seen extensive redevelopment in recent years, with hundreds more homes planned.

But previous plans for a passing loop at the station that would have allowed faster trains to overtake slower trains and boost local service frequency along the West Anglia route were ditched three years ago.

Mike continued: “Sometimes, when a train is cancelled and you are left waiting half-an-hour for the next one, these fast trains zoom past you, and you wonder, why can’t there be one extra stop?”

Asked to respond to the issues raised, a Greater Anglia spokesperson, said: “We understand that passengers want services which are reliable, convenient and meet demand, and we regularly review our timetable to identify where improvements are possible and practical.

“There are currently no planned changes to services at Ponders End. Timetable changes are considered carefully across the wider network, taking into account customer demand, operational performance and the capacity available on the railway.

“We would encourage any customers experiencing particular issues with their journeys to get in touch with us directly, as their feedback helps inform our ongoing planning and service reviews.”

Last year Enfield North MP Feryal Clark launched a petition calling for a new express bus service to run along the rail corridor in eastern Enfield and give residents alternative transport options that would also save them money on rail fares.

However, nothing has yet been announced and Transport for London also this week confirmed that a previous proposal for an additional Superloop service through Enfield – likely also serving Ponders End – was no longer in its plans.

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