We are responding as the Members of Parliament for Hastings & Rye and Bexhill & Battle. We believe that the options for improvement contained in the public consultation, especially the extension of High Speed services proposed in Question 11, would be transformative and hugely beneficial for our constituents and the communities we represent. 1) Do […]
Southeast Franchise Stakeholder Meeting – Maidstone 11 April 2017
Local representation: Martin Woodfine (SHRIMP), Roger Blake (RailFuture SE) – Reps paid their own expenses. Presentations: Q&A responses by Department for Transport (DfT), Network Rail (NWR), Transport Focus (TF) Andy Cole (DfT) All options will be considered, no pre-decisions made. All views welcome. Key aspects are: Passenger experience Connectivity More passengers carried with less crowding through […]
Sussex Community Rail Partnership and Southern Set Up Station Partnership
Ore station will benefit from a much brighter look thanks to the latest station partnership set up by the Sussex Community Rail Partnership (SCRP), between Southern and a local transport group. On Tuesday 14 March, Trevor Davies, from Ore Transport Group, met with SCRP’s Kevin Barry and Ore Station Manager, Simon Greenfield at the station […]
Concern Over Future of Small Kent Stations
The chorus of concern over government proposals for small Kent stations in the south eastern rail franchise is growing ever louder after campaigners described the plans as “madness”. The Department for Transport is currently consulting on how to shape rail services in the county after 2018, and has caused a stir with some of its […]
Briefing: The Brighton Ashford Rail Service
What is it? Southern runs an hourly limited-stop service between Brighton and Ashford calling at Lewes, Polegate, Eastbourne, Bexhill, St Leonards Warrior Square, Hastings and then stations to Rye and Ashford. This service is important to the local economy but is under threat. Why is it important? It is the only East-West rail link between […]
Marshlink Options to Provide Additional Local Capacity
An hourly inter-regional service runs between Ashford and Brighton. Although the route between Ore and Brighton is electrified, the 25-mile section of track between Ore and Ashford is un-electrified. This means that the service is operated throughout by a small fleet (5 units) of 2 car diesel Class 171 trains: These were built between 2002 […]
Local MPs call for action
Following the announcement of the latest strikes to the Southern rail network, and with the franchise for Southeastern rail being put out to tender next year, local MPs, Amber Rudd and Huw Merriman, have stepped up their campaign for High Speed rail services for Rye, Hastings and Bexhill. The MPs recently met with the Chief […]
Rail Goup Concerned about proposed Ore capacity reduction
The East Sussex Rail Alliance (ESRA) is concerned at a proposed reduction of rail services to Ore Station by 50% under plans within the recently released Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) 2018 Timetable Consultation. The proposal by operator Southern, as part of GTR, is to terminate Ore < > Victoria services at Hastings thus leaving only […]
Change in Rail Passenger Compensation
According to an online article, following some extensive Which? campaigning the Government extended the Consumer Rights Act to also include the rail sector. In just three weeks’ time air, sea and rail travel sectors will have to fully comply with the Act. The article went on to say: “The Government was seeking to delay new […]