Earlsfield Station Closure

I’ve been contacted by many residents recently regarding the situation surrounding Earlsfield Station. I’m very keen that everyone is kept fully up-to-date;

I was recently notified by South West Trains that they plan to close Earlsfield Station during the morning and evening rush hour for 3 weeks in August next year. I immediately got in touch with them and arranged a meeting.

At the meeting, I put across the view that 10,000 commuters rely on Earlsfield Station everyday and to simply close the station during the busiest times, without providing an alternative, is not good enough. South West Trains have a fair argument for wanting to close the station during the morning rush hour. Services across the network will be reduced, every train will be full before it gets to Earlsfield and it was deemed unsafe on the platform due to overcrowding. The chance of getting on a train at Earlsfield during the morning rush hour will be very slim.

We welcome the improvement, closing the station is necessary but they need to provide an decent alternative mode of transportation.

Ultimately, when these improvement works are completed, there will be more capacity, meaning less queues at Earlsfield – I welcome the improvement works. While we expect some disruption in order to make the necessary improvements, it is unacceptable to ask 10,000 local residents to find an alternative route into work without helping them.

I have asked South West Trains to look at providing a regular Rail Replacement Bus from Earlsfield Station to Wandsworth Common Station every morning and evening and I have also asked TfL about running extra bus services along Garratt Lane, as this could provide reasonably quick access to Tooting Broadway and Wandswoth Town Stations.

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