The Southeastern franchise is due to be renewed at the end of 2018 and the government, under the guise of ‘improving the service’, are proposing a reduction in services from ‘intervening, rural stations’ (Pluckley, Headcorn, Staplehurst, Marden and Paddock Wood) to just one an hour, and to a single London station, so a big reduction in services.
This will allow them to run fast trains from destinations such as Ashford, Hastings and Rye thereby encouraging more people to move to those destinations.
There is a petition and information which is open till midnight on 2nd May only. Currently approx 2,200 signatures, so some way short of the 10,000 which I’m told is required for it to get noticed! We have managed to get over 1,000 to sign since yesterday.