Hundreds show support for station rezoning campaign

More than 1600 local residents have signed a petition calling on rail authorities to include Watford stations into the Transport for London (TfL) zoning system and reduce fares for commuters and railway users. Local Liberal Democrats believe now is the right time for TfL to bring the stations into the zone system. They cite places such as Epping and Upminster, which are further from Charing Cross than Watford yet part of Zone 6. Watford Mayor Dorothy Thornhill has written to TfL asking them to consider rezoning Watford’s railway stations and save local commuters up to £97.50 per month. Mayor Thornhill said: “Watford residents get a raw deal from Travelcard zoning. With two new stations being built for the Metropolitan Line Extension, this needs fixing. Epping residents have the same journey length as from Watford yet Epping is in Zone 6 while Watford Junction is in a special category beyond Zone 9. That makes a huge difference to fares.” It comes after the announcement that rail fares are set to rise by a further 2.3 per cent despite delays and overcrowded trains. With the Met Line Extension under construction, Watford Junction will soon be an important interchange between Underground and Overground commuter trains as well as long distance services. If you travel by train and want to back the campaign to integrate Watford Junction into the TfL zone system then sign the online petition by visiting http://www.watfordlibdems.org/watford_junction_rezone