Passengers in south east London, Kent, the Medway towns and East
Sussex are on track to get improved journeys, as the Department
for Transport (DfT)
seeks views on a new franchise in the south-east.
South Eastern handles 640,000 passenger journeys on 1,900 train
services every weekday. The government is keen that passengers,
local councils and anyone with an interest in improved service on
the South Eastern franchise take the opportunity to shape what
the next operator will deliver.
The Secretary of State for Transport, said:
Passengers on a new South Eastern franchise from 2018 will
enjoy modern trains with more space and a more punctual and
reliable service.
This consultation sets out what we expect the next operator to
deliver for passengers, including working more closely with
Network Rail to ensure a focus on performance, and innovative
use of technology to improve both ticket buying and
compensation if things do go wrong.
DfT’s ambitions for
this franchise include:
- creating more space for passengers by running longer trains
and upgrading or replacing older trains
- increasing reliability and reducing delays by the train
operator working closely with Network Rail
- improving compensations arrangements with a simple automated
system
- introduction of a smarter payment system, including mobile
phones
- improving customer service with staff able to respond quickly
and effectively to passenger’s needs
These ambitions need an innovative new approach from the rail
industry. As the Secretary of State set out in his speech on 6
December 2016, this will be the first franchise to have an
integrated operating team between train services and
infrastructure. This means that the new operator must form an
alliance with Network Rail, working as one team to deliver a
better railway for passengers.
Kent County Council Cabinet Member for Environment and Transport
Matthew Balfour said:
We welcome this consultation by DfT and would encourage
everyone who uses the rail service in Kent to take part.
This consultation will help Kent County Council to ensure the
best rail service for all passengers using the new South
Eastern franchise.
Kent County Council is already represented in
the DfT’s
new franchise team. The council will respond to the
consultation to ensure a better rail service for all Kent’s
rail passengers in the new franchise.
Leader of the London Borough of Bexley, Cllr Teresa O’Neill OBE said:
As one of the few London Borough’s without a tube line Bexley’s
residents rely heavily on the rail service. This kind of
opportunity to have a say on priorities for the future provider
should not be missed. I would encourage as many people as
possible to take part in the survey or visit one of the
information events so they can help inform the final decision.
Medway Council’s Portfolio Holder for Front Line
Services Cllr Phil
Filmer said:
South Eastern is a major transport provider for Medway and
thousands of our residents use the service every day. It’s
therefore important that people living in Medway have their say
on how their journeys could be improved and what sort of
changes they’d like to see. By commenting on the upcoming
consultation customers can help shape the future of travel in
Medway and the surrounding areas.
People are today also being encouraged to respond to
a Network Rail consultation
about their Kent area route study. This contains their
suggestions for improvements to the network in the south-east
that will help it cope with the increased numbers of people
expected to use the railway in south-east London and Kent in the
next 30 years.
