howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
#41
A bit of respect here it is "Lord" Prescott no less, incidentally with the new stops at Walmer and Martin Mill how many people board there?
Brian Dixon
- Location: Dover
- Registered: 23 Sep 2008
- Posts: 23,940
#42
Prescott ex cabin boy/steward,all ways going in circals.
Guest 1266- Registered: 8 May 2014
- Posts: 381
#43
No extra HS peak stops for Dover and the 07:16 will no longer call at Ebbsfleet. Deal should have got highspeed a long time ago and is the failing of DDC to work for a common interest so that we wouldn't be in this situation of a degraded service.
The loop service via Ramsgate will appeal to people who are not in a hurry and keen to pay standard fares. I believe this option won't be available to Dover. The travesty is that both Dover and Deal could have benefited hugely if the loop had gone via Canterbury. Walmer station will be well boarded but not Martin Mill.
Jack of Hearts
Guest 1364- Registered: 6 Oct 2014
- Posts: 12
#44
The new timetable has every Dover service calling at Ebbsfleet, morning and evening, all except the 7.16.
Guest 1364- Registered: 6 Oct 2014
- Posts: 12
#45
seems that due to leaf fall - the 07:16 from Dover is required to stop at Ebbsfleet.Apparently - the Canterbury service that runs around the same time is unaffected by the leaf fall season and so still runs direct. Its the one fast train - so they slow it down.
SouthEastern just don't "get it" do they....
Guest 1364- Registered: 6 Oct 2014
- Posts: 12
#46
Well here it is - Dovers opinion doesnt count, because other areas shout louder, Canterbury and Ebbsfleet get improvements, and we pay for it with worse service and higher prices:
Dear Damian
Thanks for your email.
I can understand Mr. Commuter point of view, but unfortunately,
All railway timetables are a compromise between the service specification set by the Department for Transport, the rolling stock and infrastructure capacity availably, the conflicting, but equally legitimate demands of passengers from stations large and small across the network and currently, the impact of the major works at London Bridge. Within these constraints we do our best to come up with a timetable that meets the needs of the majority of people who travel with this, but unfortunately, some people will be disappointed
In this case, we have tried to improve performance by ending the practice of "splitting and joining" services at Ashford and other major stations. We have also responded to calls from more stops at Ebbsfleet. This station is becoming increasing popular with commuters and it's difficult to ignore calls for an increase in station stops as current loadings are very busy.
When setting a timetable there is inevitably a conflict between commuters from different stations as a benefit in the form of an additional stop to passengers from station A extends journey times by around two or three minutes to passengers from station B further down the line.
Please advise Mr. Commuter that we'll be looking at performance, customer feedback and train loadings once the new timetable takes effect and if it's not producing the benefits we seek and passenger numbers from Ebbsfleet are less than forecast, then there is scope for change.
I hope this allows you to respond to your constituent but if you need further information, please let me know.
Best wishes
Mike Gibson
Public Affairs Manager
Southeastern
Guest 1266- Registered: 8 May 2014
- Posts: 381
#47
The push to build 15,000 new homes at Ebbsfleet will probably ensure all HS services stop there eventually. The Canterbury West line has been given the go ahead by DDC and our MP to use Regional Growth funding to improve the line at the expense of Dover. Services from Thanet via Canterbury West are much quicker and regular while trains through Dover district trundle along ancient lines. Rail groups like trains4deal have shouted loud and had some success but it is disgraceful how DDC have sat back and not demanded better rail services. They seem to think the answer is a parkway station at Manston which will now probably become a housing growth spot and suck even more services away from the district.
Jack of Hearts
Guest 1364- Registered: 6 Oct 2014
- Posts: 12
#48
To be fair, I am aware that DDC has been calling for better services, Cllr Collor in particular has been campaigning for this, but it would seem we have little to no influence with SE Trains, they just dont care for Dover, or others shout louder. Its the same old story, the mainline services were destroyed by slowing and adding extra stops and now Dover/Folkestone services ONLY, are getting the same treatment on HS1. Travel off peak and its even more laughable - the train has to slow from 125mph to zero only to find no-one at Ebbsfleet, or maybe 1 person boarding the train.
And now we see the October leaf fall timetable - it seems leaves are powerful enough to cause the 7.16 peak service from Dover to call at Ebbsfleet, but not any Canterbury services - we must have the wrong type of leaves!
Guest 1364- Registered: 6 Oct 2014
- Posts: 12
#49
well after receiving a barracking over their new timetable, SE have taken it down from their website. unfortunately they never
told their twitter team - who sent out a link to it over the weekend and then were bombarded with people saying there is nothing there. top planning from SE again!
Terry Nunn
- Location: London Road, Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 4,321
#50
If you really want a laugh how about this. From a BR publication "A Cross-London Rail Link" dated November 1980.
Do you suppose the APT was both third rail and OHL or the original Gas turbine?
Terry
Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?
Karlos- Location: Dover
- Registered: 1 Oct 2012
- Posts: 2,599
#51
Article in the Dover Express today with SteveC pictured.
Guest 1364- Registered: 6 Oct 2014
- Posts: 12
#52
not a bad pic, even if I do say so myself. Im disappointed that it does not focus on the timetable changes that could have cut 5-6 minutes off the journey by not stopping all our services at ebbsfleet similar to Canterbury. the timetable is biased and yet we pay more for it!
Guest 1266- Registered: 8 May 2014
- Posts: 381
#53
in reality the peak services seem even longer now - about 1 hour 12 mins to dover and then they make the time up down to sandwich. also heard all dover services will now only be 6 cars all the way up to london and not 12 which was previously said for the loop service.
Jack of Hearts
Karlos- Location: Dover
- Registered: 1 Oct 2012
- Posts: 2,599
#54
Although services from Dover Priory are deteriorating, amazingly some prices are coming down.
For instance Dover Priory - St Pancras day return with a railcard is now £25.55, next year will be £19.80
Southeastern today announced a freeze on super off peak fares for 2015 that will cut the cost of more than one million off peak journeys for passengers in Kent and East Sussex. The company is also making the special fares available on more routes, including Britain's only high speed service, which runs from Kent into London.
The new expanded offer means that the cost of a return off peak journey between Margate and London is cut from £32.90 to £22.40 - a 32 percent price reduction.
The train operator also announced it will offer Advance fares for the first time in 2015 - allowing customers a discount by pre-booking off peak fares via the Southeastern website.
The news follows the Chancellor's announcement that regulated rail fares for 2015 will increase by 2.5 percent. The overall average increase in regulated (season ticket) and unregulated (off peak) fares on the Southeastern network will be below inflation and limited to 2.2 percent.
http://www.southeasternrailway.co.uk/about-us/latest-news/southeastern-announces-a-rail-sale-huge-reductions-for-more-than-a-million-off-peak-journeys/Guest 1395- Registered: 5 Nov 2014
- Posts: 463
#55
The new timetable booklets (as distinct from the drafts published previously) can be downloaded from the South Eastern Trains website. Journey time from Dover to St P is cut by 1 minute (66 to 65); St P to Dover by 4 minutes (68 to 64) for the main daytime service; haven't checked the peak as I don't normally travel then.
My main worry is going to be finding luggage space when boarding at Dover - easy at the moment but not likely to be so easy on a train that's picked up a tidy few on the way!
Lew Finnis
Guest 1364- Registered: 6 Oct 2014
- Posts: 12
#56
so why do all Dover services now have to call at Ebbsfleet again....?
Q&A with managers at St. P
<snip>
Q: From January most peak services from DEAL will be additionally stopping at Ebbsfleet however they are often standing room only already from Ashford. Is this a wise decision?
A:
If you look at the existing peak shuttle services to Ebbsfleet from St Pancras in the evening they are often very lightly used. We will be using more carriages on peak morning services via Canterbury West so I don't think it will be a problem. However the sheer volume of passengers who want to get into London on these peak services does mean we have very little spare capacity. Ideally we need a few more class 395 units (HS trains) and that is a discussion we will be having with the Department for Transport.
</snip>
http://hsdeal.blogspot.co.uk/2014/12/deal-hs-services-q-southeastern-network.htmlGuest 1266- Registered: 8 May 2014
- Posts: 381
#57
Not to mention.
"SPECIAL AGREEMENT: New HS service St Pancras-DEAL via Faversham off peak will be at a reduced price £24.40 RTN (Dover £30/Margate £30.40)"
Jack of Hearts
Guest 1364- Registered: 6 Oct 2014
- Posts: 12
#58
and exactly how slow are those services........?
Brian Dixon- Location: Dover
- Registered: 23 Sep 2008
- Posts: 23,940
#59
about the same as royal mail,sent a small packet a4 size first class took 3 days to reach her letter box in Bradford.
Guest 1395- Registered: 5 Nov 2014
- Posts: 463
#60
From Dover around 2 hours 20 mins, so even slower than Charing Cross; from Deal just over 2 hours, so less than to Charing Cross. (Dover to Gravesend is 2 hours dead). In the peaks, the Dover trains run from/to Ashford about 10 minutes after the Canterbury West trains, so that should ease the overcrowding. At the moment trains combine/divide at Ashford, so journey times will fall a little.
Lew Finnis
