Southeastern December 2009 - final timetables released

[Edvid]

They're now available to view online (along with another press release). Hard copies will be made available next month.

 

[dave12435]

They're now available to view online (along with another press release). Hard copies will be made available next month.

a great deal of research and feedback?
tell that to the people seeing a reduction in service yet still paying higher fares

 

[MCR247]

I don't quite get the reduction of service. During both peak & off-peak times adding all services inc HS1 adds up to more trains into london from where I looked. There may be a reduction on say Cannon St services but thats all I can see :?

 

[thefab444]

I believe passengers on the Maidstone East line are losing out.

 

[Hager98]

Medway Passengers lose too, we lose two trains from here (Newington goes from two trains an hour to one) other stations lose two fast trains to Victoria, the remaining two have been slowed down.

Yes we get the new trains, but they aren't any quicker than the Victoria trains i believe.

 

[yorksrob]

As a regular Ashford traveller, I suppose it's good that there are still some semi-fast trains on the classic line through Maidstone East, albeit only in the morning as far as I can make out.

 

[Southern]

The service that goes into Cannon Street now will be diverted to Victoria from 13 December. It will call additionally at Borough Green, Otford, Swanley and Bromley South. The 4 direct services a day (MON-FRI) between Maidstone - Charing Cross are axed; this is a loss of one morning peak and 3 afternoon, all London Bound. Two morning peak services still link Maidstone with Blackfriars and the City; the only evening peak return to Ashford is retained. They don't seem to have come off too badly.

Unfortunately, not everyone has got off so easily. As mentioned, Medway lose out, along with the Kent Coast; reductions in this area amount to some service frequencies being halved. I don't imagine they plan to increase carriage numbers so passengers who would have previously been spread out over 4 trains, are now spread out over 2. That is, unless people switch to High Speed; it seems very well loaded at peak time. As for off - peak, I did read in another thread that passenger numbers were quite low, especially for Ebbsfleet. Considering the fare from Ashford of 24.90, compared to the alternative 17.60 for Charing Cross, it just doesn't seem financially viable for, say, a family with young children and the time savings just don't seem worth it, when you take into account the walk from St Pancras to the tube to get anywhere worth going.

Meanwhile, Metro services are increased and Tunbridge Wells receive double the current frequency Off-Peak. I apoligise if I've gone off into a bit of a rant but this is a subject I feel very strongly about.

 

[Edvid]

The 'non-HS1' fare from Ashford to London is £20.80, not £17.60.

 

[Mintona]

Passenger numbers have increased massively on high speed since the since the introduction of high speed trains. And Ebbsfleet was really busy today, might have just a one-off, I don't know, but more and more people are using it. There is now a car park there which costs £5 to park for the day, as opposed to all the others that are £8, so that may have been something to do with it.

 

[Greenback]

There is obviously a demand from people who want to travel to or from Kent to places like East Anglia and the East Midlands, as well as North and East London, who will find the new services a huge benefit. Whether the traditional Kent commuters will benefit as much remains to be seen. I expect it will depend on the individuals circumstances as to whether they switch to the new HS services. I don't think anyone can accurately predict what is going o happen, and the timetables may need to be adjusted once the new service starts in full.

 

[Southern]

The 'non-HS1' fare from Ashford to London is £20.80, not £17.60.

£17.60 is the return fare to London Charing Cross; £20.80 is London Terminals.