SENT ON BEHALF OF STEVE WHITE, MANAGING DIRECTOR, SOUTH EASTERN RAILWAY
Over the past few weeks we have seen both the importance of our railway and the challenges it faces. From the tragic incident at Bedford to periods of extreme heat across London and the South East, our colleagues have worked tirelessly to keep communities connected and customers moving. At the same time, these events remind us that delivering the reliable, resilient and high-performing railway our customers expect requires continued investment, partnership and long-term planning.
This period we reached an important milestone in the procurement process for a potential new Metro fleet, with the submission of our Full Business Case to the Department for Transport. After extensive procurement activity, the programme has now progressed to the next stage of Government governance and consideration. If approved, the new trains would bring a more accessible, reliable, resilient and cost-effective railway for the communities and economy of south east London and the wider region.
While investment remains critical, we must also be honest about performance today, continue strengthening the railway’s resilience to future challenges and ensure that rail delivers wider social value for the communities we serve. This newsletter highlights the progress we are making, the challenges we continue to face and how your support can help us deliver a better South Eastern Railway.
Delivering a Better Railway
Procurement update – new metro trains
We have reached an important milestone in our procurement programme to secure a new Metro fleet, with the submission of the Full Business Case to the Department for Transport.
The Southeastern Metro carries up to 225,000 passengers per day. The network supports access to jobs, education, services and housing markets across South East London, Kent and parts of East Sussex. Demand is forecast to grow by 33% across the day and 55% in the AM peak by 2050.
By 2027, our current Class 465/466 Networker fleet will exceed 35 years in service – the fleet is increasingly unreliable, costly to maintain, is unairconditioned and no longer aligned to modern urban railway experiences.
Subject to Government approval, this new fleet would help deliver a more accessible, reliable, sustainable and cost-effective railway for passengers and communities across south east London and the wider region.
If you would like to find out more, my team would be happy to arrange a briefing. Please contact George.Paterson@southeasternrailway.co.uk.
Performance update
Performance during Period 3 was below the standards we expect of ourselves and below what our customers deserve. Punctuality fell to 82.4% with the Moving Annual Average (MAA) now at 85.2%.
Cancellations were 3.5% with the MAA now at 2.3%. We recognise the frustration that delays and cancellations cause, and we remain focused on improving reliability across the network.
The extreme heat experienced in late June created many of the challenges we faced. Our new integrated railway responded by:
Operating a full timetable throughout to reduce overcrowding in extreme heat
Offering customers refunds or the ability to travel on later days
Using a record number of air-conditioned City Beam trains (28)
Using every available High Speed train
Putting Directors in control providing senior operational oversight
Providing additional train crew and asset responders available to deal with emerging issues
Customers were affected by a number of asset failures, and with track temperatures reaching the mid-50s Celsius, some speed restrictions were necessary to maintain safety.
Our priority is always to keep customers moving safely. Colleagues across the business worked really hard in challenging conditions to minimise disruption, provide support at stations (including bottled water) and respond quickly to emerging issues.
An integrated first with a Network Rail Mobile Operations Manager and SE Fleet Technician on patrol together to support the Hastings Line in extreme heat.
Signalling and Telecomms technicians checking the operation of signalling at Greenwich. Note the new device on top of the cabinet to help reduce internal heat.
Supporting Communities
On Track to Opportunity – Measuring our progress on social mobility
Southeastern and the Purpose Coalition held a parliamentary event to launch On Track to Opportunity Social Mobility Report-2
Railways do much more than transport people from one place to another. They connect communities with employment, education, healthcare, training and culture.
I was pleased to join the Rt Hon Justine Greening at Parliament to launch our latest social mobility report, On Track to Opportunity, produced in partnership with the Purpose Coalition. The report highlights the opportunities and challenges across our network and identifies how rail can play a greater role in improving life chances and social mobility. Working with colleagues, community partners, local organisations and the wider rail industry, we are:
Improving connectivity through better services and investment across our network
Creating clearer pathways into rail careers through apprenticeships, work experience and inclusive recruitment
Supporting local communities through partnerships that remove practical and financial barriers to opportunity
You can read the report in full here: https://lnkd.in/eF-uSf7V
As well as supporting this work at Southeastern, I am proud to join fellow railway leaders in a new industry-wide Social Mobility Programme. Together we have set an ambition to positively impact at least 5,000 lives every year, helping address skills shortages while creating opportunities for people from less advantaged backgrounds.
Working alongside local authorities, businesses, schools, charities and community groups, we are committed to ensuring that rail becomes a powerhouse for social mobility and helps to reduce regional inequality. We would welcome your help in turning this work into practical partnerships, whether by connecting us with local organisations, promoting rail careers or identifying where our network can do more to support less advantaged communities.
Bayeux Tapestry – Free rail tickets for Hastings and Rother schools
Bayeux Tapestry scene
A practical example of this commitment is our partnership with schools in Hastings and Rother, where we are providing 1,066 free return rail tickets to enable pupils to visit the Bayeux Tapestry exhibition at the British Museum.
The initiative is designed to widen access to culture, education and opportunity by removing barriers to participation. We have written directly to schools with details of the offer and application process. If you know a school that may wish to take part, please share this opportunity. Queries can be directed to: Bayeux@southeasternrailway.co.uk
Keeping Passengers Safe
We are determined to make our railway a safe place to travel. Railway Behaviour Notices are being rolled out across the rail network as an early intervention measure to tackle repeat antisocial behaviour. They can be issued by train operators or British Transport Police and remove a person’s permission to enter specific stations for six to twelve months, helping stop harmful behaviour before it escalates into formal criminal proceedings.
On our network, 105 people have been banned from our railway in the last year for abusive or antisocial behaviour, and more than 70% of these interventions have helped stop repeat incidents.
We recently partnered with the Evening Standard to highlight why firm action is sometimes needed to protect customers and colleagues. As an example, after a passenger recently became abusive towards Southeastern staff, made threats and went onto the tracks, body-worn camera footage helped identify him and support enforcement action. He was issued with a six-month station ban under the Railway Behaviour Notices system.
This is a practical example of how early intervention, partnership with the British Transport Police and targeted enforcement are helping keep the railway safe and welcoming for everyone.
Looking Ahead
Charing Cross closure reminder
Later this month, we will deliver a £20m programme of engineering works to renew assets and improve reliability between Charing Cross and Waterloo East. To complete this safely, the line will need to close on:
Saturday 18 and Sunday 19 July
Sunday 26 July to Sunday 16 August – main 22-day closure
Saturday 22 and Sunday 23 August
Saturday 10 and Sunday 11 October
I recognise that planned closures are disruptive, but this work is essential to replace assets installed in the 1990s. During the main closure, trains will continue to run into central London, although journeys may take longer and services will be amended. Services that would normally run to Charing Cross will be diverted to London Victoria, Cannon Street and Blackfriars, with some terminating at London Bridge. Details of the revised service are now in journey planners.
Customers should plan ahead, check before travelling and consider walking or cycling for shorter journeys. Ticket holders can also travel on any reasonable route on the London Underground between London Bridge, Waterloo, Victoria, Blackfriars, Cannon Street, Elephant and Castle and Embankment.
Full details of ticket acceptance arrangements, including information on London Buses and refund policies, are available here.
Customers are also invited to complete a short survey to help us plan support and travel information during the closure.
Further information, including FAQs and a detailed line-by-line travel summary, can be found here.
Your support in sharing accurate travel information with residents, businesses, employees and community groups will help passengers plan ahead and reduce avoidable disruption.
Thank you
Thank you for your continued engagement and support as our integrated railway works to build a safer, more reliable and better-value railway for customers, communities and taxpayers.
Your feedback, advocacy and partnership matter. Whether by supporting the case for investment, helping communicate planned disruption, connecting us with local community partners or sharing local passenger insight, you can help us deliver better outcomes across the network.
If there are individuals, organisations or local opportunities you think we should be engaging with, please let us know.
If you would like to know more about our plans for a new metro fleet to act as a catalyst to transform this part of our railway, please contact George.Paterson@southeasternrailway.co.uk.
Yours sincerely,
Steve White
Managing Director