Dulwich and Herne Hill residents are divided on whether the newly reopened Elizabeth Line will improve their local areas.
The Elizabeth Line, which opened on Tuesday May 24, includes Farringdon, which is a sixteen-minute Thameslink journey from Herne Hill Station.
Those arriving into Farringdon will now have swift access to transport hubs such as Paddington, Liverpool Street and Stratford.
But while some say it will boost transport links in traditionally isolated areas, others remain unconvinced.
Sue Badman, Vice Chair of the Dulwich Society, travelled from Farringdon, to Abbey Wood and back to Canary Wharf. She said: “It is a boon for Dulwich & Herne Hill residents. It was a fantastic experience – the train arrived quickly and the service was smooth and quiet.
“Many passengers were excited to be on the new service while others looked as though they had been travelling on the Elizabeth Line all their lives.
“The fast access to E-Line will open up Dulwich, Herne Hill and other parts of London to faster access to tube services.
“We will have to see how the fully integrated service works… but, overall, the launch was a triumph”.
Journey times from Herne Hill to Liverpool Street have been slashed to 27 minutes, while a cross-capital jaunt to Stratford will only take 42 minutes.
But Richard Aldwinckle, member of the Dulwich Alliance and One Dulwich, coalitions of local groups and traders said: “I can’t see it has much relevance to Dulwich and I don’t think it will have any impact on business round here.”
Twitter User @FrancescaHumi said: “Why does Reading get Transport for London/tube services but SE London (New Cross, Lewisham, Peckham, Dulwich) gets none?”
There have also been hiccups, with the BBC reporting that some travelers at Farringdon have been getting overcharged when changing without tapping in.
TFL are working on an “urgent solution” to remedy the problem.
Dulwich and Herne Hill are particularly under-served by TFL services. Dulwich Village has a Public Transport Accessibility Level of just two, while East Dulwich’s languishes at three, some of the worst in Southwark.
63% of people in Dulwich own at least one car or van, compared to just 42% in Southwark generally, which it has been argued is caused by poor public transport provisions.
Mayor Sadiq Khan said: “Green public transport is the future and the opening of the Elizabeth line is a landmark moment for our capital and our whole country.”