The proposed 2018 timetable is much simplified (and it is amusing that it wouldn't meet a number of Gibb's aspirations, nor his plans to reduce stock movements by stabling trains at Crowborough in future).
Aside from bashing that report, though, I think we should look to the positives. The 2018 timetable for the Uckfield Line has much better consistency in terms of stopping patterns, clockface times and so on, and although the first train of the day from Uckfield is slightly later, everything else should result in better service for the stations south of Oxted.
Work does need to be done to ensure capacity for Sanderstead and Upper Warlingham is retained in the evenings, and there are also some well-used stops at Norwood Junction which might be best re-inserted (even though they account for a lot of the overcrowding, faredodging and antisocial behaviour problems on late-night Uckfield services).
Given the problems with making sure connecting trains are held, and given the huge variations in how many people use them, the current Oxted Shuttles in the evenings (all stations to Uckfield, starting from Oxted Platform 3) are probably best discarded if it somehow turns out that there's space for more trains leaving London Bridge. I thought that was one of the major problems with running more evening peak trains from LBG towards the Oxted area, and I can't see how adding more services will help the smooth running of Thameslink from New Cross Gate to Windmill Bridge, but we shall have to see what happens.
Sanderstead and Upper Warlingham both have Purley Oaks and Whyteleafe nearby as im sure you know and im assuming from the new timetable the fast Cat and Tatt spliiters from LBG will still run.
Stopping the Uckfields at Sanderstead and Upper Warlingham currently does seem over-generous to me although the amount of users are high.
Norwood Junction should still have the Cat and Tatt splitters and the TL to Horsham from LBG.
On the otherside of the coin maybe ALL uckfields should stop at NWD in both directions for train crew purposes. Many NWD drivers have to pass to and from NWD to LBG to start/finish their duties. WOuld be good if drivers were relieved here. Up Uckfields could use platform 1 to avoid holding up the up fast.
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