Lib Dems push for better trains at Worcester Park

As South Western Railway prepare to hold the first full public consultation on their timetable since 2004, hopes are growing that Worcester Park might finally be on track to get the better, more regular train service it has needed for so long.

At the recent local elections, the state of local trains was a top issue for voters in Worcester Park and throughout the north of the borough. The four newly elected Liberal Democrat councillors Joanna Elgarf, Israel Owoade (Worcester Park North), Luni Sabharwal and Jenna Hartley-Smith (Worcester Park South) have pledged to do everything they can to lobby for better train service.

Now, it looks like progress might be coming sooner than expected, with SWR committing to holding a full public consultation in the “Autumn of 2026”. It comes after the Liberal Democrat team, along with Luke Taylor MP, met with a representative from SWR shortly before the election.

Luke Taylor MP has been campaigning to fix the issue ever since his election in 2024 - and has raised the issue with ministers from the Department of Transport on several occasions. In one, he described messages he had received from affected residents who “are unable to collect their children from school … are missing family meals… (and) fear for their safety if they have to wait for a taxi late at night when the train does not come.”

Train services at Worcester Park were cut during the lockdown period and have never returned to pre-pandemic levels of service. In that same time, services have regularly disrupted by signal failures, and many commuters have had to contend with overcrowding due to short carriages.

Ahead of the full public consultation, SWR have launched a website for commuters to leave their feedback - which states “We want to know about your experience, insights and aspirations for our future timetable.” Local residents are encouraged to send SWR their commuting horror stories via this site as soon as possible.