News

SHEPWAY TEAM TACKLES RAIL CHIEFS OVER HIGH-SPEED LINE

A team from Shepway traveled to London last week to put its views for the high-speed rail service to the Strategic Rail Authority (SRA).

The Rail for Folkestone Working Party – which includes representatives from all political groups in the district – presented the authority with its case for modifications to the plans for high-speed rail services to Folkestone. The team was led by Cllr George Bunting, Cabinet Member for Transport, and the district’s case was presented by Transportation Officer, Stephen Gasche.

The four key issues presented were:

All high speed trains should call at Folkestone West Parkway – due to become the district’s principal bus/rail and car/rail interchange station

The need for a train care depot at the Folkestone East site – to provide job opportunities for people in the east of the town where unemployment is at 6.2 per cent.

The provision of additional train services against the peak flows between London St Pancras and Folkestone – to especially encourage business travel to Folkestone from London

The retention of the existing hourly classic line service all day at Westenhanger - in support of Lympne and Stanford parish councils

“The SRA was very receptive to the team’s arguments. While not able to promise that all the requests would be met, the rail authority did advise that further discussions with each of the prospective train operating companies might be beneficial,� said Mr Gasche.

Members of the Rail for Folkestone team will be meeting with each of these bidders for the Kent rail franchise - First Group, GNER, Go Ahead and DSB - during the next few weeks.

The chosen bidder should be known by October, and is due to replace South Eastern Trains in December 2005 as the operator of the existing network. The high speed rail services are scheduled to start in December 2009.