South Eastern Railway introduces enhanced timetable to tackle demand in Kent
Extra peak-time trains and longer services to tackle demand
Kent passengers are set to benefit from more highspeed trains and extra carriages as South Eastern Railway launches its enhanced timetable this Sunday, 14th December.
The improvements will see additional evening and peak-time services, as well as extended train lengths on some of the busiest routes, helping to meet the growing demand across South East London, East Sussex, and Kent.
Last week, Thursday 4th December marked South Eastern's busiest single day since the Covid pandemic, with 436,000 entries and exits recorded at London terminals, prompting the rail operator to boost services.
Starting this weekend, passengers can look forward to:
29 new St Pancras to Faversham highspeed services per week, providing half-hourly frequency on weekday evenings and additional Saturday trains during peak hours.
More weekday evening services from Charing Cross to Dartford via Bexleyheath, running at a half-hourly frequency.
Extra peak-time weekday trains between Charing Cross and Maidstone East, also offering a half-hourly frequency.
New weekday off-peak and evening services from London Victoria to Ashford International, via Maidstone East.
To improve customer experience, South Eastern is increasing the number of carriages on several busy routes during peak times.
Key changes include:
The 07.15 Hastings to Charing Cross service will increase from eight to twelve carriages.
The 17.15 Cannon Street to Hastings service will also be extended from eight to twelve carriages.
Weekend trains between Victoria and Dartford/Gravesend via Bexleyheath will be doubled from four to eight carriages.
Scott Brightwell, Southeastern Safety, Planning and Performance Director, said:
“These latest changes help us to meet rising demand by increasing services where they are needed most, adding much-needed extra space for more comfort during the busiest times.
“The modern, air-conditioned Class 377s we are bringing in as part of our wider train improvement programme reflect our commitment to better journeys for customers. Passengers can check their amended services using journey planners, with full timetables available on our website.”
The enhancements are part of the national rail timetable update, which takes place twice a year in May and December.
Full details of route changes
The updated timetable boosts services across South Eastern’s network, including:
Metro services:
Extra evening weekday trains on the Bexleyheath Line to provide half-hourly services from Dartford and Charing Cross.
Improvements to intervals between trains on the Hayes Line, plus a new service at 08.02 from Charing Cross to Hayes.
Mainline services:
Additional morning and evening peak trains between Maidstone East and Charing Cross, providing half-hourly coverage.
Extra weekday off-peak and evening services from Victoria to Ashford International.
Highspeed services:
29 new weekly services between St Pancras and Faversham, including half-hourly evening highspeed trains and improved Saturday frequency.
Passengers are advised to check journey planners and Southeastern’s website here for updates.