Don't let politicans near our railway

The domestic rail service between St Pancras and Ashford has freed up some capacity on the Tonbridge-London Bridge line. The train operating company has taken advantage of this by increasing the number of peak hour trains to and from Tunbridge Wells and also providing four trains an hour to Charing Cross from Tunbridge Wells off-peak - a 100% increase.

Cue for the politicians to stick their oar in.

First in the spotlight is Councillor Brian Ransley, a Conservative Party councillor on Tunbridge Wells Borough Council. The off-peak service runs to a standard stopping pattern which includes Orpington. Cllr Ransley wants some of the trains to miss the Orpington stop. Orpington is a useful interchange station with services to a wide range of destinations across South London. His second idea is that some off-peak trains should be diverted to Cannon Street despite the fact that he acknowledges that over 75% of passengers wish to go to Charing Cross. Barmy is probably too kind an epithet for his ideas.

Next in the spotlight is Mary Varrall, the Dozycrat candidate for Bexhill and Battle complaining in The Courier about a proposal to divert peak hour trains on the Hastings-Cannon Street route to Charing Cross. Whilst any diminution in services is regrettable the plan to change the London terminus has to be seen in context. Trains on the Hastings-Cannon Street route have to change lines in the London area. Conflicting movements at junctions reduces capacity and is a cause of delays. Lines in the London area are at near capacity already and anything which improves operation of services will benefit all users.

I cannot see the change of destination having the dire economic consequences predicted by Mary Varrall and the barnpots at East Sussex County Council. Passengers can transfer to Cannon Street services at London Bridge, as thousands do daily. They can travel by Underground on the Northern Line to Bank or they can do what millions have done for many years, walk over London Bridge. Another option is to change at Waterloo and thence by The Drain, the line between Waterloo and Bank.

If our politicians must campaign on transport issues, then might I suggest they press for improved links between West Kent/East Sussex and Docklands. Trains from the former run tantalisingly close to services to Docklands but passengers are forced to take a time-consuming dog-leg via London Bridge.