A new timetable comes into effect on London Underground’s District Line this weekend, providing extra capacity for 4,000 morning passengers and more evening trains.
The changes have been made possible by scrapping the weekday service to the wheelchair accessible Kensington Olympia station.
Local councillors and passenger watchdog London TravelWatch opposed the changes, saying they would make it harder for visitors to travel to Olympia and force wheelchair users to take “long and inconvenient diversions.”
LU say “almost 80 per cent” of those who took part in a consultation were in favour and has committed to retaining a weekend service to Olympia.
Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, said: “Hundreds of thousands of passengers will benefit from this practical and pragmatic change to markedly improve the most congested part of the tube network.”
Howard Collins, LU’s Chief Operating Officer, said: “The introduction of the new timetable in December will reduce delays across the whole line and, in particular, benefit the 150,000 passengers who are affected by delays at Earl’s Court each day by reducing congestion in the area.
“It will also provide more room for more than 4,000 passengers on the Wimbledon branch, the busiest branch on the line, during the morning peak and an enhanced evening service.”
