Southern trains from Leighton Buzzard to London will cease running in May

Passengers using Southern trains to get from Leighton Buzzard to London will have to look elsewhere from May.
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Instead of travelling direct, they will now need to change at Watford Junction – with Southern saying the change will help create a more reliable service between Watford Junction and Clapham Junction.

One commuter contacted the LBO after he says he was told the Southern service, reduced because of Covid, would be removed altogether.

He said: “Since Covid they have reduced the train between Milton Keynes and Clapham down to four a day from what was at minimum once an hour between 7am and 7pm.

Leighton Buzzard train stationLeighton Buzzard train station
Leighton Buzzard train station

“I contacted Southern in the last week due to the fact it's costing me over an hour extra using the other services due to Southern not being available. They responded to say due to Covid affecting them they had to reduce timetables and will monitor passenger levels to consider reinstating the service.

“I have spoken with a train guard yesterday on the service, which they run at weekends, and have been told that staff have been told within the next few weeks or months – I believe he said May 2022 - that Southern is no longer running.

“This means anyone that relies on the service from Milton Keynes down will not have this service to get to work.”

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Southern Trains Customer Services Director Chris Fowler said: “Regrettably, the one train an hour north of Watford Junction to Milton Keynes will not resume in May. Southern played a small part on this route, which is well-served by other operators, and the costs involved cannot be justified with the reduction in commuters now travelling and financial strain facing the industry.

“The change will create a more reliable service between Watford Junction and Clapham Junction, while releasing space in the timetable north of Watford Junction for other operators to adapt services across the wider region in the future.”

“We’re pleased to confirm that from the start of our summer timetable in May, after a sustained period of running just two trains a day in each direction on the West London Line, we’ll be able to restore an all-day, seven-days-a-week Southern service between Clapham Junction and Watford Junction.

Passengers will once again be able to use the West London Line as a circular service between Wembley Central and Shepherd’s Bush from Watford Junction, for which there is currently no direct alternative.”