Oral question asked in the House of Commons, by Jonathan Shaw (Labour). It was answered on Tuesday, 11 October 2005 on behalf of the Department for Transport.

Kent Rail Franchise

Question: My hon. Friend will recall the prophets of doom who said that the domestic channel tunnel rail link would never happen, but we have placed the order—and very welcome it is, too. However, is he aware that it is more than 40 years since the Kent rail network timetable was reviewed? Will he assure the House that we will not have to wait a further 40 years, but that route review will be dynamic and ongoing, as work patterns change, especially for commuters to London and given the development of St. Pancras station?

Answer: I agree with my hon. Friend about the historical problems on the line and we must keep the issue under review to ensure the best capacity and reliability of the network. We are already hitting 85.1 per cent. on the public performance measure ahead of the March deadline, so progress is being made in the right direction. We must examine how we can continue to improve the service.

Secondary information