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Islington Tribune - by PETER GRUNER
Published: 29 June 2007

TfL boss Ian Brown

More ‘Cinderella’ trains on way

PLANS have been unveiled to spruce up the North London “Cinderella line” and to double the number of trains from four to eight an hour.
Ian Brown, managing director of Transport for London, said the plan was to spend more than £1 billion by 2010 on upgrading the neglected rail service that serves parts of Islington.
A new organisation, London Overground, is to assume responsibility for the line, currently run by Silverlink Metro.
The line, running from Richmond in the west to North Woolwich in the east, has suffered from lack of investment. Passengers have complained of aging rolling stock and lack of station staff. The railway serves Barnsbury and Caledonian Road, Highbury and Islington, and Canonbury stations. Upper Holloway station is on the offshoot Gospel Oak-Barking branch.
Under the new plan, all stations will be staffed during service hours.
Mr Brown said: “That means staff will be seen on platforms as well as the offices – and where possible there will be enhanced CCTV.”
A pilot study has been launched into the problem of litter on the track and the new franchise will be financially motivated to keep the stations clean.
Mr Brown added: “There’s going to be a deep clean to rid the scruffy image at all the stations. We want to make them look presentable.”
All stations are to be refurbished over five years.
Orders for new trains have been placed but they will not be ready until 2009. The new trains will initially have three carriages but will be upgraded to four.
Mayor of London Ken Livingstone said: “This contract paves the way for the radical revitalisation of London’s rail services, which have suffered from years of neglect and under-investment.
“With London Overground, we are investing over £1.4 billion to transform this part of London’s railway network so it will provide passengers with the levels of staffing, safety and security and customer service that they deserve.
“By joining together the North and East London Railways ahead of the 2012 Olympic Games, we will create a new rail artery around the city serving 20 London boroughs, including some of the poorest.”

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