Press Releases for 2004

SUBMISSION ON THE INTEGRATED KENT RAIL FRANCHISE

22nd April 2004

East Kent Green Party (covering the district council areas of Ashford, Canterbury, Dover-Deal, Shepway, Swale and Thanet) is concerned by the proposals to cut rail services in Kent made in the Strategic Rail Authority's Integrated Kent Franchise: train service specification a consultation document. We will be writing to the Secretary of State for Transport to ask that the SRA be re-tasked with the objective of promoting rail use and enhancing service incidence and coverage particularly in those areas where the population is increasing. We offer the following points in response to the Consultation:

1. The Hastings-Ashford line upgrading and a rail station at Park Farm are both critical to ensuring that the expansion of Ashford does not mean enhanced traffic congestion;

2. Bearing in mind point 1, we reject all cuts in village rail services in East Kent since population increases throughout Kent cannot possibly justify such cuts. New housing at higher than local average prices means many new residents have two cars, generating a rapid increase in traffic congestion in a number of locations in East Kent. Enhanced rail services are necessary to counter this trend;

3. In opposition to service reductions, we call for new rail stations at Hersden, Seasalter and Richborough and a feasibility study to re-open Dover Eastern and Western Docks. We also want a similar study to examine a new rail route into a new station in Ramsgate Harbour;

4. We request that the SRA explain its desire to create social exclusion of the 22% of rural households which do not have access to a car and, in Kent, often do not have adequate access to bus services either. Similarly, we wish to know why the SRA is intent upon 'marooning' the young and the elderly in rural communities as a result of cuts in rail services;

5. The SRA proposals for cuts conflict with Government policy concerning greenhouse gas emissions. Since emissions have risen in 3 out of the last 4 years, the SRA should be engaged in advocacy of rail services as part of the process of cutting emissions from the transport sector;

6. Concerning services in general, we favour the use of more frequent trains with less carriages after the Eurostar service is fully open to domestic passengers in 2007, allowing better train services throughout Kent.

Steve Dawe
KENT GREEN PARTY
Contact Steve Dawe, 10 Hillbrow Road, Ashford, Kent TN23 4QH

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