1,000 reasons to keep trains

Rail passengers from Borough Green and West Malling have won a stay of execution for local services after petitioning a senior politician over proposed cutbacks.

More than 1,000 people who use the Maidstone East line into London Bridge and Cannon Street stations have joined a campaign to stop Southeastern timetable changes.

On Tuesday (June 30), Malling MP Sir John Stanley handed their petition to rail transport minister Chris Mole.

The petition called for a rethink over the cutbacks, which would leave commuters without a link from West Malling to London Bridge and Cannon Street.

The minister agreed that Malling and District Rail Travellers' Association, which was spearheaded by Sir John, will have until mid-August to draw up new data on how many passengers use the peak and off-peak trains stopping at West Malling.

Sir John said this would include "concealed demand" – the number of people who drive to stations like Sevenoaks and Tonbridge because the West Malling and Borough Green service is so poor.

The new timetable, due to come into effect on December 13, would also see the time of the 17.58 train from Blackfriars back to Borough Green and West Malling brought forward, making it impossible for most City workers to catch.

Sir John told the Chronicle: "It's a huge issue and if the minister won't change the franchise specifications, those people who go to the City coming into Cannon Street will have to go to Victoria, which is hugely congested in the morning and they sometimes have to stop access to the Tube.

"Southeastern's perception of demand seems to be completely out of sync with our own experience as travellers."

Malling and District Rail Travellers' Association chairman, Felipe Alviar-Baquero, of Discovery Drive, Kings Hill, said: "There are nine services throughout the day from West Malling to Cannon Street. But after December 13, people will have to go to Victoria instead, which takes 57 minutes, and then get the Underground, which takes another 20 minutes and costs another £3 if you don't have an Oyster card."

The suggested cutbacks have angered many residents who travel to West Malling to use the 9am service to London Bridge and travel back on the 19.14 from Cannon Street.

Wrotham Parish Council chairman Harry Rayner said: "It's easy to drive to West Malling and pick up a train to London Bridge. If they bring in these changes, I will take the car instead."

Southeastern spokesman Jon Hay-Campbell said: "The draft timetable is based on the Department for Transport (DfT) specification set out in 2003 and we are obliged to make these changes as part of our franchise agreement.

He reassured Borough Green and West Malling commuters they would be getting an additional peak service train to Victoria.

To sign the Keep Our Trains petition go to www.keepourtrains.com

To find out more about Malling and District Rail Travellers Association go to www.mallingrail travellers.com

If you drive from the Borough Green area to stations in Tonbridge or Sevenoaks, the rail travellers' association would like to hear from you.