It is unique, running through central London and linking major transport hubs including
Luton and Gatwick Airports, St Pancras International and London Bridge station.
The Thameslink Programme will dramatically increase the number of people who can
use the railway, providing benefits such as:
- Increasing trains in each direction through central London by up to 300% (peaking
at up to 24 per hour)
- Longer trains (12 coaches). An increase from a maximum of 8 at present.
- Removing bottlenecks that delay trains, the worst at London Bridge station
- Direct access to more destinations
- Reduced crowding on the London Underground
- A new landmark station at Blackfriars in time for 2012
- An extended station at Farringdon, with new entrances and a smooth interchange to
Tube and future Crossrail trains serving places like Heathrow and the City
- A new fleet of trains and signalling and power systems to support them
As the Mayor of London has stated, investing in the railway is crucial for Britain’s
economy. It will help more people get onto the trains that they rely on for work
and leisure and keep passengers flowing at stations like London Bridge.
This scheme began in October 2007 and is Network Rail’s biggest following the successful
completion of work to improve the speed and frequency of trains on the West Coast
(which links cities like London, Manchester, Birmingham and Glasgow). Together with
Crossrail, the redevelopment of Kings Cross and Birmingham New Street stations and
improvements to the railway in the north, Thameslink will get more people out of
their cars and onto the railway.