Guest 651- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 5,673
Been nice knowing you :)
Brian Dixon
- Location: Dover
- Registered: 23 Sep 2008
- Posts: 23,940
good news for some who use the service.
Guest 698- Registered: 28 May 2010
- Posts: 8,664
Yes and it will make Deal and Sandwich more attractive for London commuters. It's vital that we get a more affluent demographic moving into the district. Charlie was right to spot that as an opportunity and he has done a great lobbying job to get Southeast Trains to make it happen.
I'm an optimist. But I'm an optimist who takes my raincoat - Harold Wilson
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
much debate on this on the "kent online" website, opinion divided on whether k.c.c. should have intervened with cash help.
Guest 651- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 5,673
Opens up job opportunities for people living in Deal (as they could nearly be in London by the time they could drive to Ashford
)
Been nice knowing you :)
Guest 640- Registered: 21 Apr 2007
- Posts: 7,819
Ive had the full statement through on this about an hour ago, there was a delay because it came through second hand as it were, will get it on the frontpage tomorrow with pictures etc after the Police and RNLI have their fair stint on there at the top of the page. Thanks to KCC.
Ross Miller
- Location: London Road, Dover
- Registered: 17 Sep 2008
- Posts: 3,706
Short term it will make little difference - all it will do is perhaps alleviate some of the parking issues at and around Dover Priory as those who drive from that neck of the woods catch the trains instead.
Further at the moment it is only 3 trains in the morning peak and 3 in the evening peak.
There has been little or no increase in commuter numbers from Dover since the introduction of the High Speed service and virtually zero impact on the house prices etc locally (Ashford on the other hand reckons that the introduction of the service lead to a 10% rise in local house prices) - this is not the cure all some would like us to believe - without a multi strand inward investment strategy it is just another white elephant
"Dream as if you'll live forever. Live as if you'll die today." - James Dean
"Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength,
While loving someone deeply gives you courage" - Laozi
Guest 683- Registered: 11 Feb 2009
- Posts: 1,052
My concern when Deal and Sandwich were first campaigning is in line with Peter's argument in that prospective commuters will be drawn more to those towns rather than Dover. Deal and Sandwich offer so much more in terms of their attractiveness and their life style options (restaurants/theatres/pubs/shops/golf....etc) than Dover does. Perhaps Southeastern will drop Dover from their timetable to make the onward journey quicker!!
Guest 698- Registered: 28 May 2010
- Posts: 8,664
Another way to make the journey quicker would be to drop one of the Folkestone stops.
I'm an optimist. But I'm an optimist who takes my raincoat - Harold Wilson
Ross Miller- Location: London Road, Dover
- Registered: 17 Sep 2008
- Posts: 3,706
The current timetabled journey from Dover during the peak is 68 minutes -this includes
stopping at Folkestone Central and waiting there for a minimum of 3 minutes
stopping at Folkestone West and waiting for at least 2 minutes
stopping at Ashford and waiting for a minimum of 8 minutes
the journey from Ashford to St Pancras takes 36 minutes yet on the test runs they were able to complete this in 22 minutes
clearly there is plenty of slack in the timetable
There is no reason that they could not get the Dover to London journey time down below the magic hour if they wanted to - to be fair southeastern have agreed to reduce the lay times at intermediate stations and take account of the track layout improvements at Dover (this has doubled the speed limit round the old Harbour Station curve) in the next timetable which should reduce the journey time to around 63 minutes
Dropping one of the Folkestone stops would then get the journey time down to 60 minutes or alternatively increasing the speed they run the trains at from Ashford would achieve the same thing
"Dream as if you'll live forever. Live as if you'll die today." - James Dean
"Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength,
While loving someone deeply gives you courage" - Laozi
Guest 698- Registered: 28 May 2010
- Posts: 8,664
Another thing they could have done (if hispeed domestic trains had been envisaged when they built HS1) was to put the crossover from HS1 to the old track closer to Folkestone. Then the train could run at 140 mph much further.
I'm an optimist. But I'm an optimist who takes my raincoat - Harold Wilson
Guest 697- Registered: 13 Apr 2010
- Posts: 622
I agree with Peter, they need to drop one of the Folkestone stations. I know why it was done that way, because of the lack of parking at Folkestone Central, but surely they can come up with an alternative strategy on car parking. The high speed service is great for East Kent, but I'm still unconvinced that enough is being done to capitalise on this asset. There has been little positive news on new investment in the area which one would have hoped for by now.
Guest 698- Registered: 28 May 2010
- Posts: 8,664
The fast trains should stop during the morning and evening rush hours at Folkestone West where there is parking for City commuters. Other trains should stop at Central. There are slow trains and loads of buses between the two stations. Not rocket science methinks.
I'm an optimist. But I'm an optimist who takes my raincoat - Harold Wilson
Keith Sansum1
- Location: london
- Registered: 25 Aug 2010
- Posts: 23,940
few points on this if i may.
the high speed train stopping in other towns will affect the slower domestic services these services already take far to long to get to charing cross or victoria
they used to run a domestic service one slow stopping all stations and one fast
stopping folk central, ashford waterloo and char x
but the this was poo pood by the thanet commuters who wanted 2 an hour even though the trains were slow and more services in that area.
So yes, all power to your elbow those in the deal area, but this does affect other travellers
ALL POSTS ARE MY OWN PERSONAL VIEWS
Guest 683- Registered: 11 Feb 2009
- Posts: 1,052
My understanding is that Folkestone got the two stops due to effective lobbying rather than the car park issue.
Guest 684- Registered: 26 Feb 2009
- Posts: 635
Effective lobbying has reaped the rewards for Deal and Sandwich re provision of the HST. Persistent pain-in-the-arse-ness works!
Ian Killbery and Tom Rowland of the trains4deal campaign have been brilliant; for what it's worth I have had a (very) minor role in this campaign from the off too, being a Deal resident who wants the best for the whole of our district.
All power to Ian, Tom et al, though, and Charlie Elphicke and Laura Sandys. But what Deal now needs is HST stops timetabled to and from St Pancras throughout the day - and at weekends as well.
See you on the Titfield Thunderbolt,
Andy
Ross Miller- Location: London Road, Dover
- Registered: 17 Sep 2008
- Posts: 3,706
you all forget that the only reason Dover got these trains (and therefore the only way Deal and Sandwich was able to get them) was through the effective lobbying of Coller, Prosser and Watkins.
Even then Southeastern had to obtain special dispensation from the rail regulator to run these trains through the Shakespeare Cliff Tunnel as they have no front and rear exit like the old mainline trains do and the tunnels have insufficient room to exit safely by the normal doors.
This wouldnt have happen if the aforementioned gentlemen had not argued such an effective case.
So whilst hats off to the guys who convinced southeastern to add Deal and Sandwich to the HST roster - the real thank you must still go to Prosser, Coller and Watkins.
"Dream as if you'll live forever. Live as if you'll die today." - James Dean
"Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength,
While loving someone deeply gives you courage" - Laozi
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
not true we all remember the people that made it happen.
Ross
You are quite right where a lot of the credit for Dover getting the High speed train.
Nigel coller in particular lobbied very hard for it
As for Folkestone it is a joke to have 2 stops there and the rail regulator should demand one stop be eliminated
Guest 705- Registered: 23 Sep 2010
- Posts: 661
It would take more than the rail regulator. You'd need a myriad of commendable lobbyists to achieve this as with the HS1 extension.
I'm afraid Folkestonians are very protective of their stations- there's even a campaign to retain Folkestone Harbour Station to tie up with the new fast ferry (foot passenger service) projected to start next year. If anything goes it should be the Central-though it should be replaced by a reopened Folkestone Junction Station.
I digress!
The best solution for Deal/Sandwich is to reduce the station stop times-especially the Ashford one. Combine this with the common sense thinking mentioned by Peter G to give optimum results. Also the prestige that HS1 brings the area is very important if you're selling the local residential brand.
Never give up...