Kentish Express Ashford & District
A promise of ‘golden era’ with system restructure
The operator of Kent rail services will be among the first to be forced to team up with Network Rail in a radical government overhaul of the system.
Transport secretary Chris Grayling says he wants closer working between operators and Network Rail, ending the current division of responsibility where services are run by one and tracks and infrastucture by another.
The news signals the end of the divide between those who run trains and Network Rail and will mean that when the new franchise for the Kent network - which could be Southeastern - starts in 2018, it will be as a joint team.
Mr Grayling said the reforms would herald a “golden era” for train services, but critics say it will mean wholesale privatisation.
He said: “We want to see closer working across the industry, to resolve problems more quickly – putting the needs of the passenger first.
“When things go wrong, a lack of a joined-up approach can make things much worse for the passenger. I intend to start bringing back together the operation of track and train on our railways.
“Our railway is much better run by one joined-up team of people. They don’t have to work for the same company. They do have to work in the same team.”
Plans for better operation of track and train across the rail network will be achieved through the new integrated rail franchises.
The first of the new franchises to be let will be on the South Eastern and East Midlands lines, which will be expected to include integrated operating teams between train services and infrastructure. Political Editor Rail operator Eurostar has warned that leaving the European Union under Brexit would pose serious questions about its capacity to operate.
And bosses say that the impact would also create difficulties for other companies who rely on its service to conduct their business across the EU.
The warning comes in an uncompromising and blunt response to a Lords committee which is examining what the impact of Brexit will have on businesses.
In its submission, Eurostar makes clear it believes there will be nothing positive about leaving.
It highlights a series of concerns about recruitment, lengthier journey times, potential loss of investment from entrepeneurs and most seriously a decline in passenger numbers.
The submission says: “Eurostar has benefited immensely from EU rules making cross-border rail travel easier and cheaper.
“If divergence between UK and EU rules were to happen, this would lead to significant cost and complexity for our business.”
“This in turn would affect our competitiveness and, depending on the nature of any differences between systems, it may not be possible to operate either from an economic or practical standpoint.”
The company is one of Kent’s most important businesses, employing around 1,800 people in the UK – of which threequarters are based at Ashford, St Pancras and Ebbsfleet stations and its London headquarters.
Last year, 10 million passengers used its services, along with 350,000 British citizens living and doing business in France, Belgium, Germany and Holland.
On recruitment, Eurostar says: “More restrictive rules for employment of non-UK nationals would make recruitment difficult and costly.”
Describing the impact on other businesses who rely on