Rt Hon David Evennett, MP for Bexleyheath and Crayford, officially responded to the South Eastern Franchise Consultation earlier this week. Mr Evennett had already raised concerns about the consultation with the Rail Minister, Paul Maynard MP.

Following the submission of the survey, Mr Evennett wrote to the Secretary of State for Transport, Rt Hon Chris Grayling MP, to reinforce the points he had made.

Mr Evennett commented: “I regularly raise issues with the rail service with Transport Ministers, as my constituents and fellow rail users often suffer delays, particularly persistent short delays, and cancellations. There are never any contingency plans in place when problems occur, and staff are frequently unable to advise passengers on the issues or provide any alternative options to help customers get to their destination.”

“Network Rail have also failed passengers, but when delays and cancellations occur, neither Southeastern nor Network Rail are willing to accept responsibility. There must therefore be greater co-operation between the operator and Network Rail to deliver better reliability, as well as more rolling stock, and I therefore support the proposals to ensure they work together as one team with a focus on performance.”

“However, I fundamentally disagree with the suggestion to reduce the number of terminals that can be reached from Bexley as the services to Charing Cross and Victoria are also essential. This would be detrimental to Bexley residents, and a reliable service should be possible without limiting the number of terminals available.”