Japanese Railways to be awarded Southeastern Mainline Franchise

Sevenoaks Rail Travellers Association Posted on by

20160331-seven-minute-miracleToday, 1 April, the Department for Transport have announced that Japanese Railways will be awarded the Southeastern Mainline Franchise when TfL take over the Metro Franchise in 2018. Under the new Franchise, Japanese Railways will reduce delays to an average of 6 seconds per train, to match the standards of the Tokaido Shinkansen and use the existing minimum 7-minute train turnround time at Charing Cross to perform a “seven-minute miracle” full train cleaning – ensuring that trains are cleaned before each journey rather than once every ten years.

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TfL extend Underground to Dover?

Sevenoaks Rail Travellers Association Posted on by

2016_03_26_bbc_teletext-modOn Friday 25 March at 07.50 hours the BBC Teletext service travel pages were showing the following information for Southeastern: –

Replacement bus service running on Southeastern between Dover Priory and Folkestone Central due to damage to the sea wall. Tickets being accepted on London Underground and alternative Southeastern services between Dover Priory and Victoria.

I suggest that this new Underground Line into deepest Kent should be called the “Invicta Line”!

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What have c2c done to offend National Rail Enquiries?

Sevenoaks Rail Travellers Association Posted on by

tilbury-riverside-flickr-50576141@N03-5442453095-cc-by-nd-licensedI recently made an enquiry on the National Rail Enquiries Website for the recommended journey from Bat & Ball to Tilbury Riverside. I expected to be advised to travel to either London Bridge or Cannon Street via Sevenoaks then transfer to Fenchurch Street and travel to Tilbury Town by c2c and change there on to the bus service to Tilbury Riverside. However all the suggested routes were by the Gravesend to Tilbury ferry!

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Southeastern – where the “best value” ticket is almost double the correct price (again)

Sevenoaks Rail Travellers Association Posted on by

We have just discovered a new fault in the new-ish Southeastern ticket site. On Easter Monday it would not sell off-peak return tickets for late evening returns, selling two off-peak singles instead.

Moreover the website says that “the best value” would be two single tickets costing £23.20 – when the correct fare would be an Off-Peak Day Return costing £11.70. That’s overcharging by 98%.

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