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Saturday, February 04 2012

Campaign launched to promote high speed rail in Kent

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Bullet trains are proving a big hit by Alastair Irvine

A promotional drive to raise awareness of the arrival of new high speed trains in Kent is being launched this month.

The London-wide 'Closer than you think’ campaign aims to highlight the time-saving benefits of the trains for commuters and rail travellers.

It will feature advertising on the London Underground, adverts on Southeastern trains, direct mail shots to businesses in the capital, a radio campaign on the London radio station LBC and a digital moving poster positioned in the St Pancras station forecourt.

Investment promotion agency Locate in Kent is running the 'Closer than you think’ campaign alongside Ashford’s Future, Kent County Council, Kent Thameside Regeneration Partnership, Medway Council and Southeastern.

Paul Wookey, chief executive of Locate in Kent said: “With less than 100 days to go until the full launch of high speed services in December, the countdown has well and truly begun.

“As well as high speed connections to Europe and the City, Kent benefits from a lower cost-base than London, making it a convenient and practical business location."

The first few weeks of the high-speed preview services proved extremely popular with passengers, leading Southeastern to double the length of the train on some services from Ashford International to St Pancras International.

For more business news see Kent Business.

Tuesday, September 15 2009

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Comments (13)

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Anna wrote:

What aren't they saying?

There is a lot of publicity about the addition of the high speed services, while they subtly gloss over the many service cuts across the county to make way for it. The high speed line carves through Kent but benefits only a tiny minority of citizens.

HS1 is great if you want to get from Ashford or Ebbsfleet into St Pancras. For anyone else in Kent who wants to commute into the city taking using HS1 would be an incredibly inefficient route and the lack of rail connections from Ebbsfleet is frankly appalling. Are we not supposed to be encouraging people out of their cars, not in to them!?

21 Sep 2009 2:25 PM

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Tom wrote:

Thanks a bunch

So, for those of us in Maidstone who have had our service to the city cut, we can now drive 45 minutes to Ashford, pay to park, and then spend half an hour commuting from Kings Cross to the city. Oh, and we have to pay more for the privilege.

Thanks SETrains.

18 Sep 2009 4:18 PM

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Jeremy wrote:

High Speed Trains mean Service Cuts!

It is planned in December to remove all the fast trains that currently link Ashford, Maidstone, London Bridge and Cannon Street (see http://www.keepourtrains.com).
In addition, all fast trains between Ashford and London via Tonbridge will be withdrawn, leaving only slow stopping trains.
Therefore the existing fast London Bridge/Cannon Street services from Ashford & Maidstone East should be retained, to provide one fast train each hour between East Kent/Ashford/Maidstone and traditional stations in London, and avoid overcrowding on the remaining Tonbridge line trains.

17 Sep 2009 9:40 PM

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Sophie wrote:

a cracking waste of money

what a cracking waste of money. We don't want extrs people moving to Kent - we haven't enough water for those who are here.
As for transport, it may be quicker at 5am but during the day it is slower than at present

17 Sep 2009 5:01 PM

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Chris wrote:

What about existing commuters

Regarding the comments as above, I don’t agree with Charlies comments. Although having the high speed service in Kent is going to do some good mainly to the distant Coastal Towns such as Ramsgate and Dover it going to blight other town not only Maidstone. The people commuting from these towns have over the years paid for premium for the service and been promised premium service this hasn’t happened instead they face spending more time and expense travelling to and from their place of work. The definition of progress is improvement. But who is receiving this improvement? Certainly no one from the Medway Towns, Maidstone and most the Kent Coast town are not going see any improvement.

Shouldn't the KM consider a more detailed investigative report on the whole issue of HS1?

17 Sep 2009 2:18 PM

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Charlie wrote:

What about the County Town???

I’m sorry to hear that many people in Maidstone will miss out on this new High Speed service. However, Kent has moved on and life and business does not revolve around one town, even if it is the Country Town. Look at how Ebbsfleet and the surrounding area has grown in recent years and how Maidstone has lagged significantly behind in encouraging business and people to stay in Maidstone. It only makes sense to give this area a decent rail service. Maidstone has its railway history, its time to move on and improve other parts of Kent.

16 Sep 2009 9:13 PM

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M Ward wrote:

What about the County Town???

Whilst the new high speed "farse" will benefit Kent coastal towns (albeit at a high price) by reducing journey times by up to half, Maidstone and Malling passengers will yet again lose out. Southeastern's proposal to remove the fast off-peak City services from Maidstone East effectively reduces our overall service by one-third, yet commuters will still be subjected to paying increased fares next year. SE are forever publicising how their timetables are based on passenger figures and demand forcasts available, so may I suggest they visit Maidstone Area Rail User Group's website www.marug.org and study the passenger survey results available thereon? Perhaps then they will finally see the clear 80% demand for direct and fast peak City Services from the County Town and redraft their 2009 timetables in accordance with their demand-based policy.

16 Sep 2009 5:26 PM

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LT wrote:

High Speed Rail Con

I agree fully with the comments above, but you are all forgetting one thing, this Government gave the franchise to Govia with a licance to print money by increased rail fares well above inflation and beyond what was granted to other Uk franchises.
Therefore higher fares, greater profits, higher taxes paid by Govia.
IT'S A LABOUR STEALTH TAX !!!!

16 Sep 2009 1:45 PM

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solaero wrote:

Commuters Voice

I've read and agree with the comments made above, the advertising even at Maidstone Station is an insult by Southeastern. The direct result of this high speed rail link is to cut the City services in December, thus increasing the average journey time by 30 minutes. The Maidstone Area Rail Users Group (MARUG) was formed as a direct result, and is attempting to reverse the decision to cut these critical services.

16 Sep 2009 10:49 AM

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john.w wrote:

High Speed Rail ???

Don't believe anything any marketing person might tell you aboout this "white elephant". They only tell you one side of the story, all the plus features. Why don't they tell us the correct fare structre, how expensive it is going to be. ??? Why don't they tell us how long it takes to walk from getting off the HS1 to a platform at Kings X Underground, especially in the rush hour. ?? Maps you see suggest there is an underground station at St. Pancras Stn, there isn't !!! We are not told that every person using Southeastern Trains is paying for this although probably a large percentage live nowhere an HS1. station !!, We are not told that any time gained on the journey will more than likely evaporate by the time your final destination is reached. Pay extra fares for no real benefit !! They suggest in one of their blurbs that it might be a good idea to drive from West Malling to Ebbsfleet and then catch the train to St. Pancras, that sounds inviting doesn't it ?? How long and how much extra will that cost before you buy your expensive ticket, especially at going to work time in the morning and home again ?? Need I go on !!! Marketing people be honest tell us the truth warts and all..

15 Sep 2009 5:36 PM

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Martyn wrote:

Listen to the commuters

My wife and I both commute to London from Ashford which also includes driving to the station which totals up to a nice little figure of around £8000 a year.
The fast link is unfortunately no good for us due to the extra cost and the location in London which would result in us also taking tube journeys to get to work as well.
This is something we have learnt to accept but rumours are now circulating about standard services being cut, even longer travelling times and an increase in fares in 2010. When is something going to be done about this? As in previous comments I’ve read and agree with the only thing I’ve seen change over the last couple of years is the colour of paint they use at the train stations and the staff uniforms so what is happening to all this money and will they ever listen to what the commuter wants and thinks!!!!!!!

15 Sep 2009 4:30 PM

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Flo wrote:

High Speed Rail??

How much of this promotional activity will there be in Kent towns that don't benefit from the high speed link and are actually loosing services in December, such as Maidstone (The county town!)? No one seems to be promoting that!

15 Sep 2009 2:02 PM

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Chris wrote:

In 100 days time it will be further away

For thousands of existing commuters who already travel to London Victoria and Cannon Street, when the Launch of HS1 Services comes into effect are going to see the existing journey time increase by 10 minutes or even longer each way. These Journey times have already increased dramatically since the late 80’s. It always good to see local government authorities waste so much man power and funds putting a positive spin of something which going blight thousands of existing people who already have the misfortune of using existing South Eastern services and to run salt into the wounds are subsiding the HS1 through increased fares!!

15 Sep 2009 1:19 PM

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Campaign launched to promote high speed rail in Kent

What aren't they saying?

Thanks a bunch

High Speed Trains mean Service Cuts!

a cracking waste of money

What about existing commuters

What about the County Town???

What about the County Town???

High Speed Rail Con

Commuters Voice

High Speed Rail ???

Listen to the commuters

High Speed Rail??

In 100 days time it will be further away