Category Archives: Otford

Timetable changes from 11 December

Sevenoaks Rail Travellers Association Posted on by

There are significant changes to the timetable for services from Sevenoaks, Dunton Green and Otford from 11 December. The detailed timetables have been published at https://www.southeasternrailway.co.uk/travel-information/live-travel-information/december-timetables and Southeastern kindly gave us a briefing on the concepts behind the new timetable and the main features. We have looked at the timetable in detail and these are our main observations.

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Local commuters demand “Honour Your Thameslink Commitments”

Sevenoaks Rail Travellers Association Posted on by

Thameslink Train

Our local MP, Laura Trott has arranged a 30 minute public meeting with Rail Minister, Chris Heaton-Harris, about the government’s failure to provide the long awaited Maidstone East to Cambridge fast service. The meeting will start at 17.30 on December 14th 2020.

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How would you spend £340,000 to improve our stations?

Sevenoaks Rail Travellers Association Posted on by

Govia Thamelink was fined £15 million for last year’s timetable meltdown. After work by MPs, local councils and rail traveller groups this has been allocated to stations, for projects to help passengers hit by the collapse in services.

For stations we cover on the Darenth Valley line £340,000 will be allocated to projects that help passengers directly.  Amounts at each station depend on how badly services were affected.

Please let us know what you think? Decisions will be taken end July, and GTR will give extra weight to passenger groups like ours.

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Thameslink launch consultation on 2018 timetable

Sevenoaks Rail Travellers Association Posted on by

geograph-1888302-by-pam-frayThameslink have launched a consultation on their 2018 timetable, including the Bat & Ball service and the new service to Maidstone East. It’s open for 12 weeks until 8 December.

An initial read shows that Sevenoaks area services are largely as expected, but with some disappointments:

  • only hourly trains London Bridge to Maidstone East in the evenings.
  • non-peak Darenth Valley trains will not go beyond Blackfriars.

We’ll be studying the document carefully and responding fully. 

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