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June 2013
The Fight hots up
BBC Radio Kent
10/6/ 2013

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Where are our trains?
See the HS1 lobbying process in action -
Trains4deal puts government, industry and the county council on the spot!

Probing questions at Kent Rail Summit:
"Are Deal and Sandwich going to be sidelined?"

Tom Rowland: "One of the big successes sparked by these Rail Summits has been the service that Southeastern has been able to offer to Deal and Sandwich that have been underwritten, partly paid for, by Kent County Council.Can you offer any assurances to the people of Deal and sandwich that their trains are not going to stop and that the services that we already have will continue;
and 2. for little if any additional cost it should be possible to provide some off-peak service and also some weekend trains - can you give us any assurance that these matters are going to be seriously addressed in the next few months and that Deal and Sandwich are not likely to be sidelined and miss out on the huge economic benefits that the rest of Kent is getting."

DfT: "It's a fantastic success story, but we can't commit funding for it..."

James Conway, Department for Transport: "We are talking about the High Speed services; the Classic services are fully funded. 
The HS extensions at peak have been a fantastic success story, and the government has to be honest about that. I cannot commit funding for that because the government doesn't currently fund that, but if Charles (Horton, Southeastern) feels his pockets are deep enough or he's making enough commercial return to continue with that - or if the County Council wants to continue to fund that, that's up to them.
Regarding a weekend service, Southeastern are the railway planners and they can tell you any timetable issues that may be there"

James Conway, DfT: "We can't commit funding, but if Southeastern or the County Council want to fund it that's up to them."

SOUTHEASTERN: "It's for the Government to decide what they buy!"

Charles Horton, MD Southeastern: "The short story is this is going to be a bit like a game of ping-pong, isn't it?
We will need to talk to the DfT about the services going forward. We're very active, and we recognise the benefits delivered by the Deal and Sandwich service.
We'd like to talk to the DfT about how the services go forward in the direct award period, and whether they become integrated (in the franchise specification) or not.
We can express our views on that but at the end of the day, it's for the Government to decide - and to decide what they buy."

Charles Horton, (Southeastern): "We will discuss this and many other matters with the DfT - but it's up to them to decide what they buy"

Trains4deal: "So who do we speak to?"

Tom Rowland, Trains4deal: "This is completely un-transparent now.
We don't know who to talk to, who to provide information to. 
YOU (Southeastern) say it's nothing to do with you, and YOU (DfT) say you're not prepared to intervene."

Tom Rowland and Ian Killbery representing Trains4deal at the latest Kent Rail Summit

KCC: "We're batting for you"

Paul Crick, KCC: It's me you need to talk to, as we have done in the past. We've funded this service from Sept 2011 to 31 March 2014, for 2 and a half years - and the indicators are that it's a phenomenal success.As James (DfT) says, you've got a "very vociferous County Council on your side here". .We have regular meetings (with the DfT, Southeastern and Network Rail). Keep working with us *
Trust me - we'll continue to bat for you because it has been such a successful service, and we fully anticipate it being provided, and we'll do what we can to get it provided in the new franchise."
Cllr David Brazier (in the chair): "This is your accountable County Council".

Paul Crick, KCC Planning & Transportation: "We will continue to bat for you."