Hastings - Cannon Street Train Service

The final version of the Kent Route Utilisation Strategy was published in January 2010 after extensive consultation; in our area, the key concern – expressed time and time again by Wadhurst Parish Council and others in the area - was the proposed removal of direct peak-hour services to Cannon Street from Hastings, consequent on a Strategy proposal to run 12 car Thameslink trains to Tunbridge Wells; because of problems with the power supply south of Tunbridge Wells these trains can not run on to Hastings.

The final text now reads:

"A key concern was the assumption made in the Draft that main line services to Thameslink via Tonbridge would replace all of today's main line services to Cannon Street on this route. Whilst it appears to have been accepted that this approach is aimed at providing additional capacity and new journey opportunities in the busy Orpington to Tunbridge Wells corridor, it was highlighted by many stakeholders that stations south of Tunbridge Wells would lose out, since 12-car trains are unable to operate on the Hastings line due to power supply constraints. This has led to a local campaign in the Hastings area seeking to retain today's 12 services to Cannon Street. As described in detail, the RUS considers this to be impractical after completion of the Thameslink Programme, but does recommend that all Hastings to Charing Cross trains should call at London Bridge, and that more of these trains should have separate fast and slow portions operating from Hastings to Tunbridge Wells."

This suggests that no significant notice has been taken of the objections raised by your Council and others.  However, in a letter of 21 April 2010 to Cllr Lock, member for Transport in ESCC, peter Foot for the Department of Transport wrote:

"My perusal of the correspondence on this subject, however, leads me to the conclusion that there is no particular desire of Hastings Line passengers to see Thameslink trains on their route. The campaign is more about the removal of Cannon Street services, as proposed by NR in the Kent RUS - and, indeed, that is the first bullet point in the list of concerns in your letter. We are a long way from a decision on this matter, because the recommendation in the RUS is of no relevance until the specification for the next Kent franchise is drawn up. Work on franchise specifications commences about two years before a franchise is due for replacement. The Southeastern franchise is due for replacement at the end of March 2014 so serious work on the content of that franchise will not begin until around Easter 2012.

It is perhaps more difficult than ever to forecast what might happen in the two years between now and then, given the knowledge that there are going to have to be meaningful cutbacks in public expenditure in the coming years. Whether, or to what extent, railways will be affected by such cutbacks is unlikely to be known until after the forthcoming Comprehensive Spending Review.

If we were working on the Kent franchise replacement today, I would be surprised if we would accept the RUS recommendation about withdrawing the Cannon Street services from the Hastings Line. There seem to be several other ways to achieve the necessary diversions from Cannon Street to Thameslink that would be more useful to passengers than the diversion of trains from the Tonbridge direction. This is mere speculation, however, and the picture will doubtless be very much clearer in two years' time when this decision has to be taken."

So the picture is not as gloomy as we had feared last year – but 'the price of freedom is eternal vigilance' – your Council will not lose sight of this issue over the next few years.