1. The resistance of Southeastern and various other bodies to extend Oyster to a ‘Zone 7’ into Sevenoaks makes no sense. Metro trains run that far but Oyster only goes to Knockholt. Passengers would receive better, more frequent, cheaper and reliable services if TFL had more direct control over them.

   Look at the Overground in London – from a clapped out old rust bucket that only worked ‘sometimes’ to a modern, reliable and crucial transport link in a matter of a few years.

2. Southeastern’s constant dismissal of the Maidstone East/Ashford International line is baffling. 2 trains per hour to the City (06.30 and 07.12 from Borough Green) and 1 train back (17.45 from City Thameslink) does not a good service make. Evening services are a joke – 1 train per hour after 21.07 – and these are frequently full and standing. There is no platform CCTV on any of the stations past Otford down the line, hence the requirement for a guard and I have lost count of the amount of times trains have been cancelled or diverted via Sevenoaks/Paddock Wood because of the “unavailability of a train crew member”. This morning (15.9.2014) the 07.12 was cancelled, allegedly due to the lack of a train crew member, yet the empty train roared past those of us standing on the platform at Borough Green at a rate of knots!

   Those of us travelling on this line pay upwards of £3,500 per year and it is only going to go up. Is it too much to expect that we have a decent service in return?

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.