Kent rail users deserve better

HUGH QUESTIONS DATA BEHIND RAIL CUTS

Hugh Robertson has today questioned the Secretary of State for Transport about the data behind the planned cuts to Kent’s Rail Services. The cuts were announced in the SRA consultation document on the Integrated Kent Franchise.

Hugh met with the SRA last week to signal his opposition to the cuts. At that meeting, the SRA said that the usage figures for the stations were relatively light. However, they were not prepared to release the figures they had collected to back up this assertion.

Hugh said: “I have asked the Secretary of State to release the passenger usage figures underlying the SRA’s proposals. The SRA is a government department and figures drawn up at public expense should be placed in the public domain – unless there is some overriding national security issue.

“When I met the SRA, they made it clear that their plans were only a consultation and could be changed. It was up to the strategic authorities – KCC and the Borough Councils – to make the case.

“This will be extremely difficult without these figures.”