An MP is pressing rail operators for the return of all-day high speed trains to Deal, Walmer and Martin Mill.

Deal’s high speed services were reduced as a result of the pandemic.

Currently a peak time high speed service is provided for Deal, which has received support from Government to keep the service going.

Dover and Deal MP Natalie Elphicke has met Southeastern services director, Scott Brightwell, to make the case for all-day high speed services to return for Walmer, Martin Mill and Deal when timetables are updated.

She said: “I have been working hard to make our community’s case for Deal’s all-day high speed train services to be returned when rail timetables are updated.

“The high speed train to Deal was hard won. It’s a vital service - allowing families to remain in our community and travel to work by train.

"It has also been a vital boost to tourism and our local economy.

“That is why I am fighting for more services during the day as well as the peak time service. I’m hopeful that we will see a successful outcome as timetables are updated.”

A spokesman for Southeastern said: “We know how important the high speed train service is to our customers in Deal and other stations on that part of our network. We’ll be announcing full details of the changes we intend to make at our next timetable change very shortly.”

SE Trains, the Government-run service took over the running of Southeastern on Sunday from the private organisation Govia.

Transport Minister Grant Shapps said it had been stripped of its franchise over a failure to repay £25 million in taxpayer funding. The debt has since been settled.

Southeastern had run the service for 25 years but and that public brand name, timetable and general day to day services continue.

Apart from that the name under Government takeover, for legal documentation, is SE Trains and the name under privatisation was London and South Eastern Railway.

Read more: All the latest news from Deal