Opportunity is the new Deal

On the 5th September 2011 Southeastern extended Britain's first highspeed rail service to Deal station in Kent. It's hard not to be impressed with the Hitatchi Class 395 "Javelin" trains and there is a renaissance of commuters now arriving at Deal train station in the mornings to board the trains to London St Pancras.

Journeys times have been slashed (Stratford: 74mins) (St Pancras: 80mins) and the reliability of the service has been proven to be far superior to Classic mainline services. The service does cost a premium but an annual season ticket from Deal to London St Pancras equates to £20.15 a day which is competitive to road fuel prices, but admittedly it should be more competitive.

Although unemployment is rising alarmingly there are still plenty of job opportunities in London which has a vast and diverse career market. If you have skills which London companies can use and the right attitude there are always job opportunities. Commuting is not for everyone but when you consider the higher salaries and career options it can be appealing. It is in the interest of everyone in Deal that the highspeed commuter service grows, as Kent County Council who are funding this service have stressed "use it or lose it". Commuters earning higher salaries in London bring additional money into our local economy and it also increases the likelihood of a full highspeed service being introduced.

It's not one way traffic either! Friday night services from St Pancras to Deal have seen the highest passenger numbers as people have taken the opportunity to travel down direct to Deal via highspeed for a weekend break, which has taken Southeastern a little by surprise. This is fantastic news for our shops, hotels, restaurants, pubs, attractions... etc and should be encouraged as we have a unique identity in Deal which should be shared and capitalised on. I can't help conclude the noticeable improvement and investment into our High Street recently has been helped by the introduction of the highspeed service.
 

 

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Deal station

I am sorry that the toilets at Deal station have been closed for a few weeks. I can confirm that the toilets were closed due to a burst water main. I understand that the water main has been repaired, but there remains insufficient water pressure to adequately feed the toilet systems which has resulted in a two hour wait between flushes. As this is unacceptable for public use, we are in negotiation with the local water company to address this fault.

Unfortunately, experience tells us that such problems can take a number of months to resolve, so I regret to say that it is unlikely that we will be able to open the toilets in the short term, and we cannot provide a timescale for when the problem will be rectified at this point in time. However, the local Station Manager, is only too aware of the problem and he is making every effort to ensure that it is resolved as quickly as possible.

Having said this, I understand that there is a separate disabled toilet at the station which is possible to flush more frequently, so we have been using this toilet on an emergency basis for those in desperate need of toilet facilities. In the mean time, the main toilets will need to remain closed until they are in a fit condition to use and passengers are advised to use on-train facilities wherever possible. I am sorry for any inconvenience or discomfort that may result whilst the toilets are out of action.

On a separate matter raised, I can confirm that Deal is covered by CCTV. Rolling out Secure Station Accreditation is split into 14 phases, with 9 completed to date. Deal is in phase 14, so there are no immediate plans to seek secure station accreditation at this location, but this will occur in due course.


I hope this information is helpful and thank you for your enquiry.


Yours sincerely

Daniel Westlake

Customer Relations Officer
Southeastern

A transport hub is key to the future of Deal

On the 5th September 2011 Southeastern commenced operating a highspeed commuter service from Deal train station bringing journey times to the Capital down to 82 minutes. Argueably one of the most momentous events for the town in recent years.

Initial passeneger takeup has been good and continues to grow, perhaps not surprisingly the highest passenger numbers have been on the Friday evening service from London St Pancras to Deal.

An estimated 18 million people pass through London St Pancras every year and many will now see the Kent town name of Deal displayed on its destination boards. The huge London jobs market has become accessible to the residents of Deal which helps the local economy to grow. Equally important; visitors to Deal have modern direct access to the town which brings a huge boost to tourism.

Recently Deal train station has had a welcome facelift. However complacency does not secure the increased passenger numbers we need to make sure the highspeed service remains after the one year trial and to ensure the introduction of all day services.

Deal train station can suffer from anti social behaviour and needs CCTV coverage. The Department for Transport and British Transport Police have a Secure Stations Scheme which has already accredited some Southeastern stations. If you witness any anti social behaviour I urge you to inform Dover District Council and ask for secure station accreditation. The popularity of cycling to the station is also increasing and this would be encouraged with CCTV monitoring.

An increase to station staffing hours would also be of huge benefit, the recent suggestion by the McNulty report that station ticket offices such as Deal should close is pure madness in fact we need the reverse. Another seated shelter towards the Sainsburys end of platform 1 would be desirable. A review of bus services and how they can be integrated with the new highspeed service should also be investigated and a modern electronic notice board outside the station, detailing local facilities and attractions could also pay dividends.

If the funds are not available for these modest improvements then perhaps any agreement to allow further housing development in areas such as Sholden should include the provision to pay for them.

Commuters from Deal embrace highspeed service

Commuters this morning (Monday 5th September) at Deal station boarding the 06.56 Southeastern highspeed service to London St Pancras.

Late Summer weekend getaway Deal

Once a naval stronghold. today the seaside town of Deal has a burgeoning café scene. The Evening Standard 7th September 2011

Starting from the second weekend in September until further notice, why not get away to the Kent coast for a special weekend. Travel highspeed direct to Deal from London St Pancras on Friday night (Depart 17.40pm or 18.40pm) and return back in the capital early Monday morning (Depart from Deal 05.56am, 06.24am or 06.56am).

Stay in a world class B&B like Number One (Travellers Choice 2011 Top 10 B&B in the world), The Royal Hotel which was frequently visited by Lord Nelson or the renowned Dunkerleys Restaurant & Hotel.

Visit Deal Castle one of the finest Tudor artillery castles in England or the enchanting Walmer Castle & Gardens which was residence for the Duke of Wellington.

Sample the delights of The Black Douglas Coffee House (Telegraph Best British Cafe with view), the unique Dining Club, Middle Street Fish Bar (The Times Third best fish & chip shop in Britain), 81 Beach Street or The Court Yard Oyster Bar and Restaurant.

Bring your golf clubs as three of the top links courses in England are a stone throw away; Royal St George's, Royal Cinque Ports and Prince's. Don't forget your fishing rod in this mecca for anglers and what better spot than at the end of Deal pier the only new pier to have been built in Britain since the Second World War and it's 2009 RIBA Architect Awarded Cafe.

Browse the quaint boutiques and shops of the High Street (The Sugar Boy, Borough Wines, Poppy Belle) or leisure with Tides at their modern indoor swimming pool with wave machine and brand new tennis centre.

Fancy a traditional pint? The Berry (CAMRA Branch Pub of the Year 2011), The Kings Head (10th Best seaside Pub in England) or the extremely popular The Bohemian.

Blessed with glorious views across the English Channel the beaches of Deal, Walmer & Kingsdown are great for relaxing or offer a tranquil backdrop whilst exploring by foot / bicycle.

National Rail publish highspeed timetable for Deal (5th Sep)



National Rail enquiries have been updated with the exact timetable specification for the new Deal to St Pancras Southeastern highspeed service.

Highspeed train services for Deal and Sandwich to start a month early (September 5th)

The new Southeastern service will begin on September 5th - thanks to funding from Kent County Council. Services in the morning leave Sandwich at 05:50, 06:18 and 06:50, calling at Deal six minutes later.

In the evening there are two services to Deal and Sandwich, leaving St Pancras International at 17:40 and 18:40.

The new services will operate Monday to Friday and will take around 90 minutes.

Charlie Elphicke, MP for Dover and Deal said, "This marks the fulfilment of a key pledge to Deal. The service is vital to boosting the local economy. I am delighted that Southeastern has agreed to provide this service and KCC has been able to fund it. We need more jobs and money in Deal and the fast train stopping at Deal is a key part of that."

This is very welcome news that the service is to start early, however this does not complete the fulfilment of improved rail services to Deal and Sandwich. The population of Deal and Sandwich is larger than many Kent towns which already have all day highspeed services.

The economy of East Kent which has the lowest jobs to population ratio in the county needs a full highspeed service to encourage investment particularly into the Pfizer site and for tourism in Deal and Sandwich which is rapidly expanding.

A step in the right direction but not the end game.