Kent rail operator search is up to speed

BIDDING has reopened to see which operator will run Britain's fastest commuter train franchise, promising 140mph journeys into London from Kent and cutting the journey time from Ashford to the capital to just over 30 minutes from 65.

The Strategic Rail Authority is issuing revised guidelines for the Integrated Kent franchise to replace the old South East services, which performed so badly under the previous licence holder, French group Connex.

The new franchise is set to shake up life for Kent commuters. From 2009, it is planned to use Japanese-built high-speed trains on the Channel Tunnel Rail Link, bringing commuters into the international rail terminal being built at St Pancras as opposed to the traditional terminals of London Bridge, Charing Cross and Victoria.

As well as almost halving journey times from Ashford, the service would allow commuters to reach town from the likes of Ramsgate in east Kent in 75 minutes against the current two hours.

The SRA is having to release revised plans for the Kent franchise after its initial proposals were given a cool response by the four short-listed bidders. The companies trying to land the historically heavily taxpayer-subsidised franchise are:

? FirstGroup, operator of Great Western services out of Paddington.

? GNER, operator of the East Coast Main Line intercity services out of King's Cross, which is bidding with Hong Kong mass transit operator MTRC.

? Go-Ahead in its joint venture with the French group Keolis, which already operates Southern services out of Victoria, as well as Thameslink.

? DSB, the Danish State railway company, in a venture with Stagecoach which runs South West Trains out of Waterloo and owns almost half of Virgin Trains' Euston services.

The South East train franchise has consistently been the most controversial London commuter network. Connex's poor post-privatisation operating record led to it being sacked by the SRA, and the withdrawal of the old-fashioned slam-door trains in favour of of modern Electrostar rolling stock has taken far longer than had been expected.

Even with the introduction of high-speed services, commuters from the Medway towns of Chatham, Rochester and Gillingham fear their services into London may be disrupted during a changeover period.

Other commuters into the City say their lives will disrupted by arriving in London at St Pancras rather than their traditional terminals.