In December I launched a rail survey asking passengers to tell me what they want ahead of the Government's decision on which company will run the train network in the south east for five years from December 2018.
Commuters are clearly frustrated about the unreliable service. 69% saying trains are now a little less or much less reliable, according to the data from my survey. Passengers also called for better communication about delays, with 58% rating it as one of the most important issues. I want to thank everyone who participated. Scores of people responded to the survey, writing more than 5000 words of comments.
The rail network under Southeastern has been plagued by delays and cancellations in recent years. Over the last four weeks the 7.43 from Maidstone East to London Victoria arrived on schedule just 47% of the time, with an average delay of 11 minutes.
Rail users in this area are being let down. We need much more reliable services. Commuters need to be able to count on their trains to get them to work on time, and back home in the evening. With season tickets costing thousands of pounds, people simply don’t feel they are getting value for money. In my survey, constituents made clear their frustration with the value of train fares. So I’m also calling for compensation for delays of 15 minutes to be introduced immediately.
The franchise is up for renewal in 2018, and I have submitted the results of the survey to the Department of Transport as part of their consultation over the future of the network. You can read my letter here.
I am calling on the Government to look closely at the results of the survey, and make sure the next franchise-holder improves reliability and keeps passengers informed about delays. With the expanding population in Kent, we’re also going to need more capacity – either more trains, or longer trains, or both. And I’d like to see the future train operator respond to passenger demand for more trains to destinations in the City.
The new franchise is a crucial opportunity to get a step up in services. We should start seeing benefits from progress to the works at London Bridge (which has been a factor in many of the delays) – and along with the introduction of Thameslink services from Maidstone to London Bridge (and on to Cambridge) in 2018, I’m optimistic things are going to get better for rail users in our part of Kent soon.
If you want to have your say, you can still respond to the survey here.
