Let’s start with some good news. Network Rail has completed its repairs to the line between Tonbridge and Tunbridge Wells, which was hit by a landslip to the north of High Brooms station in early February. The line was closed for over two weeks but reopened as expected on Saturday 20 February.
Sadly, the reopened line won’t be seeing many trains – at least not in off-peak hours on weekdays. Southeastern is starting yet another a new timetable on 22 February. This sees the deepest cuts to services since the spring 2020 lockdown. In off-peak hours the service is reduced to just two trains an hour between Tonbridge and London, with just hourly services for Paddock Wood and Hildenborough. The spring 2020 timetable actually had more off-peak trains from Paddock Wood to London than this new timetable.
It’s not much better in the rush hour. Almost all direct trains to and from Cannon Street are removed, adding to the stress and inconvenience of those who need to travel to the city. These reductions particularly hit Hildenborough and Paddock Wood, which will only have half hourly services at peak times (all to or from Charing Cross).
The late evening service is bizarre. Each hour three trains to Tonbridge will leave Charing Cross within 15 minutes, followed by a 45 minute gap. The timetable has been hastily compiled rather than thought through.
One positive change is that direct off-peak services between Tonbridge and Maidstone West (and Strood) are coming back. Southeastern has previously used the pandemic as an excuse for curtailing these services at Paddock Wood. The sparseness of the mainline service in the new timetable seems to have forced its hand. Sadly, we believe this will only be a temporary reprieve.
Southern is also starting a new timetable on 22 February but the Tonbridge-Redhill line is unscathed. Half hourly services will continue to run at peak times with an hourly off-peak service. With schools looking likely to reopen in March, this will be a relief to school children and their parents.
We think the cuts to Southeastern services go too far and will be increasingly difficult to explain to passengers as the pandemic eases. They seem to be driven by the Treasury’s desire to save money. Cutting the service in response to reduced demand makes some sense but the number of trains will soon prove inadequate if travel picks up. A lack of agility in railway planning systems means that changes take longer than they should do. There is a real risk that the service will not be increased quickly enough in the coming weeks, and overcrowded trains are the last thing that anybody needs at the moment. It also appears that no thought has been given to the need for people to travel to Tonbridge to get their jabs at the vaccination hub in the Angel Centre. All in all, it’s not a great example of joined up thinking.
Naturally, we will continue to monitor the situation and press for services to be increased as soon as possible. Passengers who do need to travel should be able to do so safely and conveniently, notwithstanding the challenges faced by the railway in these strange and uncertain times.
Summary of 22 February timetable changes
The table below summarises the overall level of service on routes serving Tonbridge, Paddock Wood and Hildenborough.
| Route | Service from 22 February 2021 |
| Paddock Wood to London | Peak: half hourly to/from Charing Cross; no trains to or from Cannon Street (one train early morning pre-peak) Off-Peak: hourly to/from Charing Cross |
| Tonbridge to London | Peak: six trains an hour to/from Charing Cross; no trains to or from Cannon Street (two trains early morning pre-peak) Off-Peak: two an hour to/from Charing Cross |
| Hildenborough to London | Peak: half hourly to/from Charing Cross; no trains to or from Cannon Street (one train early morning pre-peak) Off-Peak: hourly to/from Charing Cross |
| Medway Valley line | Hourly service between Tonbridge and Strood (some service in peak run to/from Paddock Wood) |
| Tonbridge and Paddock Wood to Ashford | Peak: half hourly Off-Peak: hourly |
| Tonbridge to Hastings | Peak: half hourly Off-Peak: hourly |
| Tonbridge-Redhll line | Normal service |