Southeastern ‘Not Fit For Purpose’

Mark Reckless MP calls for 'not fit for purpose' Southeastern Trains to be stripped of its franchise 'as soon as possible’.

Following Southeastern's Nightmare before Christmas where the managing director of the rail firm, Charles Horton, was hauled into Westminster to explain to Kent MPs the company's abysmal failure to cope with the snow at the start of December, Mark has slammed Southeastern's decision to increase season ticket prices by 9% or £276 for hard-pressed commuters in Rochester and Strood.

Speaking on the subject, Mark said:

"I have become increasingly frustrated with Southeastern Trains. I have tried very hard to work with Southeastern to help it deal with the concerns of rail users in the Rochester and Strood area, but I have now come to the conclusion that the company is not fit for purpose.

Southeastern's attitude to its customers is, in my opinion, nothing short of disgraceful. I have received numerous complaints from constituents regarding the level of service, or lack thereof, provided by Southeastern. As a regular commuter myself, I sympathise very strongly with hard-working taxpayers who are basically being held to ransom by a company which appears to have little interest in delivering a decent service to commuters, let alone one that provides value for money.

As a former City economist, I simply cannot make sense of Southeastern's justification for the distribution of the latest fare increases.

The average income in Medway is less than many other areas of Kent, e.g. Maidstone and Faversham (which enjoy comparable fares), and there is very strong competition from local commuter coach companies. One would have thought therefore that Southeastern might use the flexibility it now has to hold fare increases in Medway below the average, yet they are imposing a 9% increase in fares, higher than the 7.8% average they are allowed. Southeastern's actions are looking increasingly commercially self-defeating.

This is not the action of a sensible competitor and is simply unjustifiable. Why should commuters to London from Strood and Rochester pay the same as those from Rainham and nearly as much as those who commute twice the distance from elsewhere in Kent?

Having worked closely with Chris Irvine’s Medway Fares Fair campaign (pictured right), I have long considered, but not previously accepted, their argument that Southeastern should be stripped of its franchise.

However, the distribution of these latest fare increases, combined with the news that Southeastern commuters will not enjoy an automatic season ticket discount despite the pitiful performance in December, suggests that Southeastern Trains is beyond redemption.

The company is simply treating the Kent franchise as a cash cow and does not even appear to be making decisions which are commercially sensible. Southeastern should be stripped of the franchise as soon as possible."

Southeastern ‘Not Fit For Purpose’

Mark Reckless MP Questions Government On Train Fares

Mark Reckless MP asked the Secretary of State for Transport to explain the Government’s policy: “on the application of a cap on fare rises on train services provided by Southeastern under its franchise agreement which enables a different rate of fare rises to that applied by other franchisees” and requested that the Minister make a statement on the issue.

The Government Minister replied that: “The Southeastern Franchise Agreement agreed by the last Government specified that from 2007-2011, regulated fares on the network would be capped at RPI +3 per cent”. She explained that: “next year will be the final one in which Southeastern has a different fares regime to most other parts of the network. From 2012, RPI +3 will become the standard formula for prices regulated by the Department for Transport, including Southeastern”.

Mark Reckless said: “I believe that Kent was not given a fair deal by the last government, which agreed a contract with Southeastern providing for our fares to rise faster than elsewhere. This will stop after January and Southeastern will henceforth be treated the same as the rest of the country. I hope that Southeastern, having been given four years of higher fares than other providers, will now improve their service to passengers”.

Mark Reckless MP Questions Government On Train Fares

Transport Minister Pressed To Fully Fund Medway Tunnel

Medway tunnel could be fully funded by the government in the future if a local campaign is successful.

Mark Reckless MP and the local councillor responsible for transport, Phil Filmer, met with the Transport Minister, Mike Penning, on Tuesday (9th November) to discuss the future funding of the tunnel.

Currently Medway Council is the only unitary authority in the country to have responsibility for such a tunnel, which serves 46,000 vehicles every day.

Nationally, most tunnels are either funded from tolls or are on major roads where the funding comes directly from the government.

In contrast Medway Council only receives funding for the length of the road inside the tunnel, which is the equivalent of 725 metres, and not for its running costs. This means the council has to rely on its own highways budget.

At the meeting, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State Mike Penning MP promised to raise the issue with his fellow minister to see if the tunnel could be included in a new asset register from 2012.

If this were to happen, the council would then receive the necessary funding from the government, as part of its formula grant, to manage the Medway tunnel.

Mark Reckless is also writing to the Transport Minister Norman Baker to see if he would be willing to visit Medway to see the tunnel for himself. This follows on from a campaign by local councillor Herbie Crack who is working in partnership with Mr Reckless to get the minister to come to Medway.

Portfolio Holder for Front Line Services Cllr Phil Filmer said:

"The minister was very sympathetic to Medway’s position as the only unitary authority in the country which has to maintain a tunnel with a value of £120 million from its highway budget. Funding for the tunnel is purely based on the equivalent of a section of duel carriageway 725 metres long, which does not take account of the tunnels running costs and needs to change".

Mark Reckless MP said:

"I was very pleased with how this issue is being progressed by the coalition government and, in conjunction with what other councillors are doing locally to convince ministers to visit the site, will hopefully result in a positive outcome and see the tunnel getting the funding it requires."

Transport Minister Pressed To Fully Fund Medway Tunnel