We consider that the Government should be bolder and more radical in rebalancing fares so that passengers only pay their fair share in the Southeastern area. That’s why we are demanding a simple, straightforward freeze on all Southeastern fares in cash terms until the beginning of 2019.

It’s reported that the Chancellor will restrict the 2015 rail fare rise to RPI+0%.  But that’s still a 2.5% increase for long-suffering Southeastern passengers – and perhaps 4.5% if Southeastern are allowed to exercise the “flexibility” provision against Sevenoaks and other stations again.

Southeastern is now a special case:

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  Sevenoaks and nearby stations have fares to London which are around 20 percent higher per mile than the average of comparable London commuter towns served by other train operating companies (see graph and detailed table).  Across the London network Southeastern fares appear significantly higher than other operators.

• Southeastern scores bottom or near bottom on most measures of performance for customers, including trust.  Southeastern passengers should be paying less, not more, for a lower quality service than others.
• Southeastern commuters – including those from Sevenoaks, Tonbridge and Tunbridge Wells – will see a 40 percent cut in scheduled services stopping at London Bridge over the next three years.  There will also inevitably be frequent major disruption as a consequence of over-running or faulty engineering work – as happened in the week of 15 September.
• Southeastern’s Direct Contract Award will not have franchise set-up costs and should have the efficiencies of a continuing operation.  Some of these savings should be shared with the passengers.

So there should be a straightforward freeze on fares in cash terms until the beginning of 2019.  This would be the simplest and fairest way of recognising the disruption for the next four years and of starting to redress the structural unfairness to Southeastern rail travellers.   It would then allow fares to be rationalised in line with who benefits from the new services delivered by the completion of the Thameslink programme in 2018.

We are calling on other Kent rail user groups and on Kent MPs to back this call for a Southeastern fare freeze.