Local campaigners from Lewisham called for the Victoria to Bellingham train service to be re-instated yesterday at a special meeting to discuss the future of rail provision in south London.

12.00.00am GMT Wed 25th Nov 2009

Lib Dem campaigners outside Bellingham station

Cllr Pete Pattisson, Cllr Alex Feakes and Tamora Langley submitted a petition of over 350 signatures from local residents demanding an end to the dire rail provision in Lewisham. The petition called for the proposed Victoria to Bellingham line to be re-instated after it was secretly cut by Transport for London. The service had been planned to mitigate the loss of the South London Line, but was scrapped without any public consultation.

Alex Feakes said "It's still possible that sense will prevail and the transport authorities will give Catford and Bellingham the vital link to Victoria that would help transform the area after many years of being a public transport 'blackspot', and we will keep campaigning to this end. I was also pleased to be given assurances that residents on the Forest Hill and Sydenham line would not see their Victoria service reduced because of the new link."

Hundreds of local people have called for the Victoria to Bellingham line to be re-instated, and we made their feelings very clear at the meeting.

The end of the South London Line is a disaster for thousands of Londoners, but a line from Victoria to Bellingham would not only go some way to mitigating its loss, but would provide a much needed new service in an area of south London that currently has very poor rail links. "We were assured that this would be taken into account when a decision is made about the future of rail services in south London," said Alex

"I urge local residents who haven't yet signed to do so now so their voices are heard through the on-line petition." You can sign the petition at www.bit.ly/cptrains.