Commuter Captures Crowds On Turnham Green Platform

Images prove Piccadilly Line stopping needs serious consideration

Mary Macleod MP has already managed to get a commitment from London Underground's Managing Director Mike Brown that he will take another look at Piccadilly line stopping at Turnham Green. Peter Hogan's photographs will make Chiswick commuters make their reasons for wanting this clearer.

Peter took these images on the morning of 9th May showed a dangerously crowded platform of commuters waiting for an eastbound District Line train and posted them on the forum.

Mr Brown's pledge came when Mary Macleod and Angie Bray MP met with a number of TfL figures including the Commissioner of Transport, Peter Hendy, Michele Dix, Managing Director of Planning and Clare Kavanagh, Director of Performance, Surface Transport in March.

Mr Brown said he would look at the possibility of trains stopping at the station throughout the weekends and earlier in evenings. Currently the Piccadilly line stops at the station from 10.30pm onwards.

The campaign to get trains to stop at Turnham Green has been running for years with much towing and frowing from Government and London's Mayor.

There are contractual and technical issues at present with an all day stop at the station but new signalling works are due to take place at Turnham Green by 2014 and a decision will be made before this date if a permanent stop can be factored into the timetable.

Speaking after the meeting Mary Macleod MP said: “This is a major step forward. It would make a real difference to Chiswick residents if they were able to get back from work earlier in the evening and spend more time at home with their families. This is about improving their quality of life on a daily basis.

"Ideally I would like to see a permanent all day stop at Turnham Green because there are approx 5.9m (includes entries and exits) passengers who use this station throughout the year and have quite long waiting times compared to other stations.

“Chiswick is a tightly packed residential community with a vibrant local community and has become a destination area for those who want good shops and great restaurants in a lovely part of London. Better transport links here would encourage car users to switch to public transport and we would have a greener London.

"The Turnham Green residents group, Hounslow Council and I will work with TfL and London Underground, to see if incremental improvements can be made in advance of the signal works and then fight for a permanent stop for when signal works are complete.”

May 10, 2011