This year, MarshLink Action Group's Annual General Meeting will be held somewhat earlier in the year – at 7pm on Tuesday February 27 at Rye Town Hall: as usual, the guest presentation will start at 7:15pm to enable train passengers arriving at Rye at 6:54pm (hopefully) to get to the meeting.
This year's scheduling of the AGM is to enable Southern to unveil its May 2018 timetable: the presentation will be by Govia's Head of Strategic Planning (for our purposes, the head of timetabling).
Over the last year or so, many hours of discussion have taken place directly between Southern's timetablers and representatives of MLAG and three other MarshLink rail action groups together with RailFuture. Southern has also held three extensive public consultation phases to which, I trust, MLAG members have contributed.
During these discussions, MLAG and the other rail action groups have raised their many issues with the current timetable (including MLAG's stated Objectives for the service). We also raised objections to the first consultation paper issued by Southern in which it was proposed turning round the Ashford – Brighton service at Hastings. Southern's argument was founded on overcrowding to the west of Hastings – overcrowding being predicated on having a 2-car unit operating the service (another subject of contention).
We wait to find out the end result of these representations.
Also, if time permits, there should be a presentation from RailFuture to update us on progress with the Javelin project, to give Rye, Hastings, Bexhill and Eastbourne direct services to London St.Pancras.
MLAG has put its question to Southern – now it's your turn.
Photo: Rye News library
