As national timetable changes begin this Sunday,14th December, South Eastern Railway (SER) are highlighting changes to their timetables which will come into effect.

On its high-speed route, 29 trains will be added to the existing timetable linking Kent to East and North London. The extra services will be added to the evening rush hour and on the St Pancras to Faversham route on Saturdays.

On its regional routes, two trains will be increased from eight to twelve coaches following the cascading of three more 377/s from Southern, which has freed up some 375 units to create longer trains. The two trains that will receive the extra 230+ seats are the 07:15 Hastings to Charing Cross and 17:15 Cannon Street to Hastings services.

There will be a half-hourly weekday service from Charing Cross to Maidstone East during peak times, with extra off-peak services between London Victoria and Ashford International via Maidstone East being added to the timetable.

On the SER’s Metro region, extra services will run on weekday evenings from Charing Cross to Dartford, creating a half-hourly service.

While this is good news for some passengers, South Eastern Railway is highlighting that with these extra services running, existing services may see their train times altered to accommodate the additional trains. Passengers are reminded to check the newest timetables or the SE website for correct departure times.

“These latest changes help us to meet rising demand by increasing services where they are needed most and adds extra space for more comfort at the busiest times. 

The modern, air-conditioned Class 377s we are bringing in to deliver better journeys is part of our wider train improvement programme, which also includes the ongoing procurement to replace our Metro fleet. 

Customers can check their amended services in journey planners, and the full timetables are also available on our website.” 

Scott Brightwell, Safety, Planning and Performance Director, for South Eastern Railway