North Kent Southeastern stations see big rise in passengers

Latest figures showing rail usage at stations across the country show a big jump in users at various stations in north Kent.

It’s not a great surprise given the area has some of the highest levels of new housing in the country.

Earlier this year I looked at housebuilding around various stations in north Kent. The numbers being built are substantial, though from a low base in some cases. Growth however will continue when vast new developments get off the ground.

Currently most stations have a poor service of one train running every 30 minutes connecting to the Elizabeth line at Abbey Wood ensuring no turn-up-and-go service levels are seen and what does run is dependent upon the somewhat unreliable Thameslink survive.

If it isn’t Thameslink’s fault with daily “planning errors” cancellation trains then its infrastructure issues from Network Rail in the core or locations to the north curtailing services to the south. Twice last week much of the day saw no Thameslink trains running whatsoever.

UPDATE: It’s happened again at the time of writing. Thameslink services are cancelled (as of writing at midday on 8th Dec) with no direct trains from these stations seeing new housing and strong growth to and from the Elizabeth line.

Once again the entire line from London Bridge via Abbey Wood heading to north Kent is pulled save for a shuttle between Gravesend and Rainham.

Issue on the central London core have seen the entire service all but stop south of the Thames on the Abbey Wood line due to signal issues. It’s expected until the end of the day.

Thameslink list alternatives but these are of little use to many in north Kent. A connection at Dartford for infrequent Southeastern trains will be required.

HS1 can not be used. No buses in Kent are listed.

HS1

Some may assume HS1 can pick up all the slack for a poor service linking north Kent to the Elizabeth line but a few things to note on that front:

1. Stations between Dartford and Northfleet do not see the HS1 stop – or even run past. Using HS1 means going back out from London, changing and then heading back in. That isn’t quick despite HS1 itself being a fast service.
2. HS1 is expensive. It’s beyond the budget of some.
3. HS1 serves Stratford and St Pancras alone. Not of use to many without a further onward change. The Elizabeth line serves Canary Wharf, east London, Stratford (via an east interchange), the City, West End and then west London and Heathrow. Far, far more locations featuring substantial numbers of employment, offices, universities, retail and leisure.
4. The HS1 fleet is squeezed as it is. There isn’t huge scope to take more passengers.

It’s notable that despite large growth in north Kent, Ebbsfleet station didn’t see big growth last year. It’s still not easy to reach. Some new homes in Ebbsfleet Village are closer to stations such as Swanscombe and Greenhithe.

Others within the “Ebbsfleet Village” banner are actually some way from most development including a site beside the Thames.

Journey times from this area via Abbey Wood and the Elizabeth line are good. Greenhithe to give one example is just 17 minutes from the Elizabeth line at Abbey Wood. When heading to various parts of London it’s a case of reaching Abbey Wood then changing for trains leaving every 5-7 minutes. Nine minutes later you’ll be in Canary Wharf, or 20 minute to Stratford. The City is 19 minutes.

Northfleet is similar. A total of 500 homes are currently being built close to the station.

All in all pretty fast to reach much of the capital.

However in the opposite direction passengers can arrive at Abbey Wood owing to 30+ minute gaps between trains to north Kent.

That’s not to say many won’t use HS1 particularly those areas further out such as Medway towns where journeys via the older lines are now a crawl. Long gone are the semi-fasts via the Abbey Wood line.

Development sites

Many former quarries in the area are now the sites of large-scale new housing and not just Ebbsfleet.

One to the west in Stone is currently under construction not too far from Darent Valley hospital. Named Knight’s Reach it totals 763 homes.

A separate site in Stone beside the station comprises 238 homes.

In fact when the larger of the two Stone developments is built out an uninterrupted continuous line of development will stretch from London as far as Gravesend (if counting the Ebbsfleet car park) almost reaching the wonderfully named Kent village of Thong.

Greenhithe has plans set to go in soon for 400 more homes.

I won’t list all the many thousands of new homes proposed as I did that earlier this year, but there’s many thousands more to be built in this part of Kent and plenty more demand for rail services to follow.

What’s clearly not good enough is just two trains per hour linking them to the Elizabeth line at Abbey Wood – and that’s when Thameslink is working well. Without improvements levels of traffic congestion (which is now pretty severe in areas like Abbey Wood) will get worse.