Kentish Express Ashford & District
Services are at all-time low insist commuters
If you thought things couldn’t get much worse for train companies in Kent, think again.
Southeastern, the company responsible for most of the county’s services, has found itself second from bottom on a Which? annual rail survey.
With a passenger score of just 31%, this makes the firm one of the worst in the UK.
However, they were pipped for the bottom of the pile by none other than Southern, which operates services between Ashford and Hastings.
The train pain seems to have no breaks for Southern as they wound up worst with a dismal customer score of just 21% following a series of strikes, making it a nightmare start to the year for commuters.
This is the company’s worst performance ever – a far cry from the 44% bagged last year on the Which? survey.
Out of eight categories, the firm gained just one star for six of them.
The other two categories did not fare much better with just two stars for both.
Which? director of campaigns and communications, Vickie Sheriff, said: “After months of disruption, it’s no surprise to see Southern at the bottom of our customer satisfaction survey.
“Though Southern have performed particularly badly this year, the whole sector is continually failing passengers.
“Overcrowding, delays, short trains, carriages in poor condition – many services aren’t providing even the basics.
“Enough is enough – we need rail services that finally deliver for their passengers.”
Following a soul destroying period for Southern passengers plagued by industrial action, the company were on track for a bad outcome.
And the string of strike action is still ongoing, with a planned three-day walk out next week.
The ASLEF and RMT industrial action comes as part of their longrunning dispute over driver-only trains
A member of Facebook campaign group Southern Rail Sufferers! said: “A huge concern, which is indirectly affecting more and more innocent people, is our inner London emergency service workers attempting to get into work.
“Nurses and doctors are being kept on later after working a 12-hour shift, while their poor colleagues struggle to get in.
“Police officers are in exactly the same boat. We do not want our emergency calls dealt with by officers who are struggling to keep their eyes open.
“Meetings, calls and appointments are being missed thanks to Southern. These service men and women, we rely on, do not have a choice what time they start work.
“They are not on flexi-time. They are a requirement. The struggle is real, it’s dangerous and it need to be addressed.”
Another member of the group said of their experience with Southern: “Having switched from commuting with Southeastern to Southern four years ago it has been soul destroying experience.
“Having to cancel evening appointments because your train is late/cancelled.
“Having to get lifts home from friends because you are stuck at Hayward’s Heath.
“Their communications are appalling and inaccurate. All of this was before the strikes even started. They are an embarrassment to the country.”
With passengers enduring a winter of misery on the railways, Which? is today launching a campaign calling for rail services to finally deliver for passengers.
Among the demands it calls for train companies to respect passenger rights and comply with the law. It also wants the regulator to be given real teeth to hold the rail industry to account and the government to swiftly bring forward reforms which put passengers first.
If you have experienced delays, overcrowding, poor train conditions, short trains or general poor service, share your experiences with Which? by visiting: www. which.co.uk/mytrainhell