Southeastern to Invest Another £2m in Station Improvements

Southeastern, a rail operator serving Kent, Greater London, and East Sussex, has unveiled an additional £2 million initiative for enhancing its station network. Southeastern stated that by March 2025, 116 stations are scheduled for deep cleaning, in addition to repair and upgrade projects at 20 specific stations. These projects will involve repainting public spaces and either repairing or replacing customer amenities. The deep cleaning efforts complement the regular cleaning operations already in place across the network and are intended to bolster the expanding Southeastern rail system as passenger volumes continue their post-pandemic rise. During October, Southeastern reported a record 400,000 entries and exits at its London stations, marking a new post-pandemic high. Furthermore, the volume of customer journeys recorded between April and June of the current year exceeded that of the corresponding period in 2023 by more than 7%. Among the 20 stations slated for improvements are Ashford International, Dartford, Sevenoaks, Tonbridge, and Tunbridge Wells. Concurrently, deep cleaning operations are planned for over 100 stations, such as Battle, Dover Priory, Hastings, Paddock Wood, and Strood. David Wornham, Southeastern’s passenger services director, commented: “Our stations are the first and last impression our customers receive and that is why we are continually working to ensure they’re at the highest possible standard.” Southeastern recently implemented a revised timetable, which includes an additional 220 trains weekly.