11.01.13
HS1 and Southeastern services
Source: Peter Clark
I was interested to read about the success of services on HS1. However, it is disappointing that other services have deteriorated.
In August I began working in Camberwell, south east London. I live in east Kent.
Adisham – seven miles from home – is a very convenient station, but the last down train is the 21.22 from Victoria. Herne Bay, thirteen miles from home, is an alternative if I am working later.
HS1 is absolutely no use at all to me.
I want a quick service on the Victoria line to Bromley South. Now, however, trains stop at Teynham, Meopham and Longfield as well as Sittingbourne, Rainham, Gillingham, Chatham and Rochester, and seem to take ages.
At Bromley South there is a ten-minute wait for a connection to Denmark Hill but in the reverse direction the down train arrives five minutes after the departure of the Victoria-Ramsgate/Dover service. Consequently, an hour after leaving work, I am still at Bromley South. No wonder I drive, notwithstanding traffic congestion on the M2 and in south east London.
Oddly, on Sundays, the Chatham main line trains omit Meopham and Longfield!
Another anomaly is fares. I am over 60, so have a senior citizen railcard. Before the recent fare increase a day return from Adisham to Denmark Hill with a railcard was £18.15 but from Herne Bay (a similar distance) only £16! But this is offset by the extra six miles road journey each way and no free parking space at Herne Bay.
I have not travelled on the Charing Cross line via Tonbridge for many years but believe that trains on this route are similarly slower than they used to be.
In 1962, when phase 2 of the Kent coast electrification was completed, it was possible to travel from Charing Cross to Canterbury West in 80 minutes, stopping only at Waterloo East and Ashford.
The fastest journey to Canterbury was, even in the 1970s, 74 minutes (admittedly a one–off) when the 16.40 Cannon Street-Ramsgate, fast to Chatham, connected at Faversham with the 16.58 Strood-Dover Priory which arrived at Canterbury East at 17.54. The 16.40 from Cannon Street was the ‘holy of holies’ and was never late! Someone important must have used it.
Incidentally, was the main reason HS1 had a service on Boxing Day whilst other lines were closed simply that it is controlled largely by Ashford IECC whereas other routes require more signalling centres/boxes to be open?
As a shift worker, I often start or finish too late for the train anyway. There is an 00.10 from Victoria to Ramsgate but it does NOT stop at Bromley South! And don’t try getting to London by train from east Kent before 07.00.
Such a shame.
Re: 25 million journeys on Southeastern HS1 services