Rother urged to back rail group

Bexhill Rail Action Group (BRAG), along with commuter organisations St Leonards and Hastings Rail Improvement Group (SHRIMP), and the East Coastway Commuter Group (ECCG), are campaigning to improve rail services between the East Coast and the capital.

They have recently held meetings with Transport Secretary Lord Adonis, the Department For Transport and Southern.

On the Ask The Leader section of Rother District Council's website, BRAG asked: "Do you agree with Bexhill Rail Action Group that a key objective in order to re-generate Bexhill should be the electrification and upgrade of the Marshlink railway line to Ashford, to enable high speed Javelin trains to run from London to Bexhill in about an hour and fifteen minutes (as opposed to nearly two hours by rail to/from Victoria via Haywards Heath)?"

BRAG went on to say there would be no need for a new line, just the electrification, some resignalling and track improvements.

"This would create an arc of regeneration linking East London, the Thames Gateway, Ashford, Hastings and Bexhill and once again make Bexhill a serious commuter town. Rye and eastern Rother would benefit from this also."

In reply, Rother says it, "welcomes and supports BRAG's stance on several issues concerning rail travel across the sub-region".

The council has lobbied several authorities to improve "connectivity" beween Brighton, Hastings and Ashford, something it views as essential for the regeneration of Bexhill.

Adding: " The Council has submitted representations to both the Sussex and Kent Rail Utilisation Strategy (RUS) respectively.

"Rother District Council has requested serious consideration should be given over to electrification, new signalling and dual tracking of the Marshlink.

"Such improvements will support existing and further additional housing and employment through the Local Development Framework process, as well as educational facilities along the line. This would enable faster journey times across the sub region and to London.

"The council is expecting both the Kent and Sussex RUS to be finalised and available in the New Year."

Rother has also been invited to comment on Southern's proposed new timetable.

"It is our intention to press Southern to strengthen the existing service between Bexhill and Ashford and provide a viable service linking Rother to the High Speed Javelin service available from Ashford International at peak times. The deadline for the consultation is the 11th January 2010."

A spokesperson for BRAG said they welcomed Rother's reponse, adding: "It is important that all interested parties across the Hastings and Rother Districts actively work together to drive forward our shared ambitions for an improved rail network.

"Our relatively slow transport links mean we are in danger of being left still further behind Brighton and Kent.

"Unless we can have frequent and high speed rail links to London on the same basis as neighbouring counties there will be nothing to underpin the significant investment in re-generation of recent years.

"Upgrading the Marshlink line to allow Javelin trains to run through to Hastings and Bexhill is a cost-effective way to achieve this, and would cut journey times between London and Hastings to just over an hour (instead of 90 minutes), and to Bexhill to around one hour 15 minutes (instead of nearly two hours)."

For further information visit www.bexhillrailaction.org.uk or www.rother.gov.uk