Yesterday, Sunday 17th October, saw SE Trains takeover Southeastern services following the end of the franchise agreement
The Department for Transport's Operator of Last Resort (DOHL) has said trains will continue to run as normal, with tickets remaining valid.
The new-to-SE Trains Class 707 CityBeam trains will continue to be rolled out on one of the busiest commuter networks in the UK.
SE Trains took over from the previous operator, London South Eastern Railway (LSER) after their franchise was stripped after failing to declare £25m of historical taxpayer funding, which it should have returned.
However, SE Trains has said that the Government will return the Southeastern network back into the private sector on a new Passenger Services Contract.
Managing Director, Steve White said: “SE Trains is now operational and I'm delighted that the transfer has gone so smoothly. For our passengers and colleagues it's very much business as usual.
“Our focus now is squarely on winning back our customers to travel on the railway.
“You can expect to see more of the striking new trains on our network, investment in our fleet and stations, flexible ticketing and new technology to ensure journeys are as comfortable and convenient as possible.
“Our customers deserve punctual, reliable and sustainable services – and we will continue to develop our timetable to ensure we're meeting our customers' needs.”
Fiona Taylor, Network Rail's Route Director for Kent said: “As Southeastern moves into new ownership, we'll continue to work closely in partnership as we always have done to deliver the safe and on-time railway that passengers across the region deserve. We will continue to put passengers first and be responsive to the needs of everyone across the network.
Robin Gisby, CEO of DOHL and Chair of SE Trains Ltd said: “Our aim for SE Trains will be to maintain an unwavering focus on delivering an excellent service for passengers. We have a very experienced team to confidently take the business forward and there are many exciting improvements for passengers to look forward to, including the continued roll-out of new trains.
“I'd like to thank the Southeastern team for their hard work and professionalism during the transition to SE Trains.”
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At least the Southeastern logo and brand will remain as it is. And more Class 707s to be cascaded from SWR before the introduction of the Class 701 Arterios do come into service.