Tim Roll-Pickering wrote:

Beyond the physical explanations offered elsewhere, it's probably worth
pointing out that passenger numbers at these stations are amongst the
lowest in London - 23k annually at Morden South, 48k at St Helier, 86k
at Sutton Common and 99k at West Sutton. Although some of this low usage
can probably be attributed to the low frequency service (2tph per
direction), many other London stations with that level of service
achieve much better patronage.


I grew up in the background of these lines. The Express Dairy School
trip was a highlight. We saw a good train on the Morden South Siding.
The dairy is gone now replaced by a mosque.

There used to be reasonably decent trains from Morden South/South Merton
to London Bridge via Tulse Hill. (circa 1970)

Nowadays the Thameslink circular route and timetable is so broken that
the stations just arent practical even though you can actually park
right outside them without paying most times!.

The line and timetable doesnt work in 3 ways.

1) Its out of phase with connections at Sutton and Wimbledon. Always you
seem to have to wait 30 minutes as the connection you wanted just left.

2) Getting to Kings Cross Thameslink (the only time I use these trains
now) from Wimbledon takes over an hour including lots of what seems to
be 10mph chugging.

3) Its *very* hard to fathom out where the trains are going since they
are timetabled 'Sutton' or not at all - they often dont show up on the
Wimbledon destination boards at all even though they are on the online
timetable.

I think its such a shame there isnt a better (fast, joined up,
publiscised) service and a Morden Tube connection. Add that to a couple
of decent car parks and you would take a lot of heat away from Wimbledon
and Morden in the rush.

mysteryflyer