Forum Topic

Ongoing saga of the 440 bus route

I made an FOI request to see the council's response to the consultation. On receipt last week I wrote to Julian BellDear Councillor Bell During August 2017, Creffield Resident’s Association (CARA), Central Acton Neighbourhood Forum (CANF) and numerous residents replied to the consultation opposing the change to the 440 bus service. As it appears none of our concerns had been considered. We fully understand this was a TFL consultation, but again we have been let down by LBE’s officers and elected members not listening to their constituents. We, CARA, CANF, Ealing Matters and West Acton Resident’s Association (WAR), who were not even made aware of the consultation, now feel it essential we meet with the officer who responded to this consultation, his/her superior and a representative from TFL who had the responsibility for making the decision to reroute the 440 to find out why our concerns were not taken into account. I asked for an FOI to see Ealing Council’s response to the consultation:Proposed Elizabeth Line Bus Network Changes Consultation LBE Officer Holding Response LB Ealing generally support most of the proposed changes. We particularly welcome the improvements for north-south orbital links in the Acton……. And that was it! I was amazed at the paucity of transport officer’s response, this was their only mention of Acton, their lack of understanding of the travel requirements of people relying on these services and absolutely no mention of the problems which will be caused by the removal of the 440 and the introduction of route 218 which will not replace the 440 service. Perhaps you could explain why we the local neighbourhood associations were not contacted by the Transport Officer? It is understandable that a transport officer will not have the know all bus routes in the borough in detail, the local neighbourhood groups do understand the issues. None of the points listed below were taken into account in the officer’s response. I had also emailed my ward councillor Yvonne Johnson asking for the relevant Ealing Transport officer’s details, so we could write expressing our concerns.  She assured me these concerns had been passed on, none of these concerns were included in LBE’s response.So fellow bus users where do we go from here?

Libby Kemp ● 2786d10 Comments

It looks like we have a stay of execution, in that the Elizabeth Line is running at least twelve months behind schedule. The blame should not wholly lie with TFL as our dear Transport Planning officers did not bother to find out the requirements of the people who pay their wages and their response to the forty page consultation document was three paragraphs where they wrote “We particularly welcome the improvements for north-south orbital links in the Acton and Northolt areas.” Well they might the support the changes but the residents who pay their wages certainly do not. They did not even bother to ask!

Libby Kemp ● 2720d

TfL has sent notices that it is going to remove the 440 bus service from the people of Chiswick, South Acton and Acton so as to serve the Business Park instead;for that it has now a further bonus; it will have a stop outside Gunnersbury Station.I emailed the Mayor of London( because it is, on paper, his scheme) using the address of his office not the address  given by TfL. I described the scheme and asked if he knew of it and approved it pointing out the problems this causes, as per my entries in this forum plus the fact that this will mean people will have to take to their cars.MY EMAIL WAS INTERCEPTED BY TfL !!!I got no reply from the Mayor and will not get one for TfL told me that , because it ( TfL ) has my email, it means that the Mayor has it even though it makes it very clear that it is a complaint against TfL for the attention of the Mayor

John Gilbert ● 2720d

by " The rich", of course, I mean not the employees but the businesses which TfL describes as thriving I am glad that the employees get a bus service instead of long walks especially in winter but must they suffer a situation where their comfort deprives others of it

John Gilbert ● 2747d

Whilst the proposed changes to the 440 route have been handled very badly, it doesn't seem fair to characterise people as "the rich" because they have to take the train and bus every day to and from their jobs in Chiswick. If they really were rich they would be able to afford to live in Chiswick and walk to work.

Norman Redfern ● 2748d

I have a new theory. We have been, quite rightly,dealing with TfL but they act as mere  agents for the Mayor of London, Sidiq Kahn and  cannot believe that he has been told the truth about what is going on.TfL will say this is an exercise in providing a faster bus service for Chiswick,South Acton and Acton to Crossrail at Acton Town Station; it does that by using a more direct route and avoiding crowded roads and two level crossings. WHAT IT DOES NOT SAY THAT THE MAIN CAUSE FOR SPEED IS THE AVOIDANCE OF PASSENGERS EN ROUTE; the route used to start in Chiswick and served Chiswick; it was much later extended to take in the so-called Chiswick Business Park so the route started there but continued to serve the people of Chiswick.Under the proposed plan, the 440 buses will not even touch Chiswick save to park there and leave almost immediately by the fastest route just as it will go nowhere near South Acton and cease to be the link between those three areas.IT WILL BE A BUSINESS BUS FOR THE CHISWICK BUSINESS PARK; IT IS ROBBING THE POOR TO BENEFIT THE RICH.Of course that will mean that the dispossessed will now have to use cars or taxis so increasing pollution.I cannot believe that Sadiq Kahn could countenance either nor tolerate the subterfuge especially since the plan all relies on a stupid and rather expensive way of facilitating access to Crossrail by the slowest way imaginable; the easiest,fastest and most convenient way is for the link with Crossrail to be at Ealing Broadway which has the added advantage of having three tube lines and is in the same Zone,So may I suggest that anyone who will suffer or be inconvenienced by the proposed plan email or ring the Mayor of London asking him to investigate ( eg I used to take the 440 bus to get to Chiswick Park Station but a new plan to facilitate access to Crossrail from Chiswick and South Acton means that the 440 bus will not go there anymore; I am 76 with breathing problems; please could you investigate. 

John Gilbert ● 2748d

This is just for the 440 route alteration, they have done other things in other areas.  My point is that as there is no or minimum extra cost .20p, no one in their right mind will sit on a bus for twenty five minutes to reach a station where the trains are four an hour, when they can tube it on the District Line from Chiswick to Ealing Broadway in max 10 minutes (6 tubes an hour) to a station with 12 trains an hour.People from the west may change from the Picc Line at Acton Town onto the District to EB for 12 trains an hour, rather than catching the bus from South Ealing to Ealing Broadway

Libby Kemp ● 2781d

West Ealing is a railway station with no tube access. The Piccadilly line stops immediately following Acton Town are either South Ealing or Ealing Common depending on which branch of the line you're using.  Neither of these stations will have Crossrail access.

Thelma Leach ● 2781d

Have TfL gone  mad. Getting the 440 route to Acton Main Line only needs an alteration at the northern tip of it. I have already warned them that if they change the southern end as per their plans, the 440 will serve the Business Park at Gunnersbury but make Acton Main Line inaccessible to many in Chiswick and a large slice of South Acton/Acton.I also note that there has been no mention at all of West Ealing station where Crossrail will stop; People who use Turnham Green would take the District Line to Acton Town then the Piccadilly Line one stop to West Ealing; much quicker than by bus.I can't help feeling that TfL has never sent someone to drive round the Park( Chiswick Business Park is a misnomer, it is in Gunnersbury) Chiswick from the High Road northwards, South Acton and Acton.

John Gilbert ● 2781d

I had a meeting with TFL last week.  Their argument, which doesn't hold up is that people from Chiswick need to access the Elizabeth Line at Acton Main Line and the 440 should be re-routed to serve Acton Main Line station.  Here is the my/our argument as to why an extra bus would not work"I understood that the reasoning behind changing the 440 route was for persons in Chiswick to access the Elizabeth Line at Acton Main Line.  I am not sure the TFL argument stands up.Your reasoning is that it would be cheaper to get to Acton Main Line by bus than by tube to Ealing Broadway, this being based on the premise that passengers would be buying daily tickets rather a season ticket.  With a season ticket there is no cost differential so the argument is irrelevant and I assume the passenger group you most want to encourage are commuters.A single peak tube journey from Turnham Green to Ealing Broadway is £1.70, takes 10 minutes and there are planned twelve Elizabeth Line trains an hour.  The bus fare  is £1.50 , takes 25 minutes and there are four trains an hour, so a passenger could end up waiting 14 minutes for a train, plus the extra 15 minutes travelling time.  All for the infrequent traveller to save .20p. Were the Chiswick demographics built into your modelling?  I don’t think an extra .40p a day will be a problem for them.  I would be interested to see the results of any research you carried out specifically on access to the Elizabeth Line from persons in the Chiswick area.Perhaps you should consider running an extra Underground train to Ealing Broadway and promote this route as access to the Elizabeth Line?  There are currently six trains an hour in the morning peaks and unlike the bus which also has six buses an hour, trains are generally more reliable.Like you I really do want the Elizabeth Line to be a success, but it should not be at the expense of local people who will still have to get to work, school, shop and attend hospital appointments and will rarely have the necessity to catch the Elizabeth Line."He suggested that we sent our objection/complaint to the following people:Heidi Alexander -  Deputy Mayor for Transport London AssemblyCaroline Pidgeon  - Lib Dem Chair of LA Transport CommitteeKeith Prince  - Conservative Lead on Transport.see my post on the Ealing Matters Facebook page August 23 for valid reasons for not changing the route.  You don't have to be an FB member to look at the site. TFL are desperate for the Elizabeth Line to be a financial success.  They were unaware that LB Ealing were providing cheap parking near the stations to encourage people to drive into Ealing and park rather than catch the train from Maidenhead or wherever thus depriving TFL of fares.  They know now and are not happy!

Libby Kemp ● 2781d

What a mess !!! Acton, South Acton and Chiswick are to lose their local bus service because a wealthy Business Park want it ( no one thought of them creating a new bus service), Ealing Councillors, quite clearly, could not care less; after all the 440 is for the poor. the old and the lame, no one of substance.Now ,it seems, those worthy Councillors have fallen foul of the law; it was Hounslow that created the link between Chiswick and the Business Park ( which is not even in Chiswick) so that, if our Councillors decide to push ahead, the taxpayers and residents may well have to fund a trespass action and possibly substantial damages or even more cuts.Since the Councillors do not know the 440 route, I imagine that they do not know that, when the Post Office in Chiswick High Road closes and the Depot takes over its business, though the carless of Chiswick would still have been able to post parcels because the depot is on the  440 bus route, they will not be able to now because they can't get the 440. What can we do; first, can we have an email address so that the objectors can send in their objections ( mine are two lengthy sets of objections which were sent to TfL plus its reply and my reply to that) and I am sure there are some gems out there; armed with that...…..Local Government Officer ( the Ombudsman), here we come OR whatever road everyone prefers 

John Gilbert ● 2781d