Damaged train means cutbacks

A Southeastern spokesman said: “We’ve had to take one of our high speed trains out of service.

“The train was damaged while in the depot, and following assessment, the repair work is complex and will take considerable time to fix.

“This unfortunately means that the 06:15am Margate to St Pancras service will be formed of six carriages instead of 12.

“We know this is far from ideal and we’re really sorry for the inconvenience this may cause. These changes will be in place until the damaged train is fixed. We will keep passengers updated as to when the service will return to having 12 coaches.”

Anyone with questions is asked to contact Southeastern’s customer services team on 0345 322 7021 or visit southeasternrailway.co.uk/ contact-us

David Walmsley, of Hythe, took this picture of overcrowding on the morning Ashford to St Pancras service