Agenda item

To receive a report that sets out Kent County Council’s response to the Department for Transport’s First Interim Evaluation of High Speed 1.

1.            The Corporate Director for Growth Environment and Transport, Mrs Cooper, introduced a report that sets out Kent County Council’s response to the Department for Transport’s First Interim Evaluation of High Speed 1 (HS1) that had been operating since 2009.  She advised that the report also included the direct impact on passenger numbers which had risen and the welcomed regeneration in areas such as Ashford and Canterbury along its route.

2.            Mrs Cooper advised that Mr Gasche continued to pursue Network Rail and Southeastern for the repairs to be undertaken at a pace on the Dover Priory to Folkestone line.

3.            Mrs Cooper responded to questions by Members which included the following:

a)    Mr Baldock commented that he considered the report one sided as it did not reflect on the impact HS1 had on residents in rural areas, such as Newington, Teynham and Sellindge.  He suggested that residents did not receive the train service in his electoral area, Swale West, they had enjoyed in the past because HS1 had superseded previous routes.  He considered that the HS1 route from Sittingbourne to London St Pancreas station that saved seven minutes journey time was to the wrong part of London ie, and cost more money.  It was considered that the majority of people that worked in London required routes to London Bridge and London Victoria stations.

b)    Mr Baldock stated that there had been a huge population growth in Kent over this period, mainly with people who moved to Kent and who travelled to work in London.  The large increase in the number of train passengers on HS1 could be attributed to that growth and not HS1.  People who lived and travelled to work within Kent were not serviced by HS1.

c)    A suggestion was made that residents who had suffered the impact of HS1 through longer journey’s to work and increased traffic congestion should be consulted and their comments included in the report.  Mr Balfour advised that the report was on HS1 and not the classic service.  KCC had to lobby government regarding the new Southeastern franchise this year.  Reports on the classic service would be submitted to future meetings of the Cabinet Committee.

d)    Mr MacDowall concurred with Mr Baldock’s comments.  He said that HS1 was more attractive if you lived or had a business along the HS1 line.  He considered that the benefits that came from the HS1 service came at the expense of the classic service.  A large number of Kent’s population lived on the coastal strip between Dartford and Dover and they were not receiving a better service.   Mr MacDowall considered that HS1 was high speed in name but not high speed throughout and if high speed was to improve the track from Ebbsfleet to St Pancreas, London would need to be replaced long term to bring it up to the same standard, this would be costly.  It would be difficult to limit annual increases to the cost of inflation.  If demand grew it was likely that prices would rise with inflation to accommodate the demand.

e)    Mr Whybrow suggested two additions to the response to the consultation; (i) more investment needed in the competing mainline services; and (ii) a recommendation from KCC that HS1openned up as much as possible to freight to reduce the HGV volume on Kent’s roads.  Mr Balfour agreed with Mr Whybrow that the Channel Tunnel should be used for freight.  He advised that he and Mr Dance were meeting with operators and representatives from Euro Tunnel tomorrow afternoon to discuss how this can be moved forward.

f)     Mrs Waters praised the HS1 link from Ashford to London and that overall it had been successful for the Romney Marsh area and was a good thing for Kent.

g)    Mr Caller said that it was incorrect to say that the inter Kent services were detrimental because you could use those services within Kent but not on the high speed sections of the line.  There were a lot of areas in Kent that benefitted from the high speed service, unfortunately it had to run on conventional lines from Ashford to Ebbsfleet it joined the North Kent Line.  He questioned HS1 being used to for freight locomotives and wagons that would be travelling at 60 miles per hour on the same lines where trains were running at 140 miles per hour.

h)   Mr Simkins endorsed the report and considered that HS1 had been fantastic for Kent.  The provider had increased services to meet the capacity.  He did not feel that there was deterioration in the classic service and said that it was important that we say that the other services were still good, were used and available. It was important to ensure that they did not deteriorate.

i)     A comment was made that before the Dover to Folkestone line was shut indefinitely to trains after huge cracks appeared in the sea wall along the stretch, HS1 was particularly beneficial to those that lived in Deal and Walmer.

4.            RESOLVED that:-

(a)   the responses to comments and questions by Members be noted; and

(b)  subject to consideration be given to additional comments being added to the response on the classic service and the line being opened to freight the Cabinet Committee endorsed the proposed service enhancements that Kent County Council would seek in its response to the Department for Transport’s consultation on the new Southeastern franchise specification.