SouthEastern Rail Franchise
In April 2017, Cllr Phil Hall (Strood North) undertook a survey of rail users at Strood train station. This was done to help inform his response to the recent public consultation on the future of the SouthEastern rail franchise.
Cllr Hall said most rail users in Medway were completely unaware they could respond to the public consultation as no Medway train stations contained information about the exercise and ticket office staff were clueless about its existence.
Cllr Hall therefore asked for the consultation to be extended, it was (due to the General Election) but still no effort was made to inform rail users via the one place that would be most useful – the stations they use.
The biggest issue for most rail users (and prospective rail users) – the cost of rail travel – was completely ignored by the consultation.
Cllr Hall’s survey of rail users at Strood rail station found that 74% were concerned about the cost of rail travel compared to just 36% who were concerned about improved customer services.
Cllr Hall said,
The prohibitive pricing of the high speed rail service from Medway, which at £40.50 for a peak time journey from Medway to London costs 40% of the average UK workers pay, needs serious attention. As my consultation response makes clear, this is more than a single rail fare from Belgium to London (currently £29) which makes a mockery of the suggestion that high speed rail services must cost more.
Cllr Hall also said an “off-peak” weekly, monthly or annual season ticket would go a long way to solving the problem of peak time overcrowding. Having first put forward this idea more than a decade ago, and having gained cross-party political support for the idea, Cllr Hall said he was dismayed at the painfully slow progress being made.
To read Cllr Hall’s public consultation response in full, please click here.