In September 2021 the Department for Transport (DfT) announced it would be terminating the South Eastern franchise then operated by the Govia-owned Southeastern after revenue declaration discrepancies involving £25million of public money were discovered.[6][7][8] On 17 October 2021, an operator of last resort (OLR), SE Trains Limited, took over operations under the Southeastern brand; at the time, the DfT stated the OLR would manage the franchise for a six-year period, the end-date being set as 17 October 2027.[1]
Southeastern has been one of several train operators affected by the 2022–2023 United Kingdom railway strikes, the first national rail strikes in the UK for three decades.[9] Its workers are amongst those who are participating in industrial action due to a dispute over pay and working conditions.[10] These actions have led to Southeastern occasionally being unable to provide a full service level, and due to the often abrupt nature of the industrial action, which has included overtime bans and strikes, has sometimes not been able to arrange for rail replacement buses in time.[11][12]
On 1 June 2023, both e-scooters and electric skateboards were banned from being carried onboard Southeastern trains; the reason for the ban was that the lithium-ion batteries that power these compact vehicles posed a fire safety risk. Most electric bicycles may still be taken on board, however.[13] Over the summer of 2023, Southeastern opened several new secure cycle hubs at railway stations across Kent as part of wider efforts to make its stations more accessible to cyclists.[14] These additions came amid a £4.4 million station improvement programme covering both Kent and south-east London, headed by both Southeastern and Network Rail.[15]
In late 2023, Southeastern introduced digital season tickets, referred to as sTickets, enabling customers to purchase and store season tickets on their smartphones. They can be bought through Southeastern's website as well as its mobile application, incorporate anti-fraud measures, and are valid for travel across south-east London, Kent, and East Sussex.[16] Several other fare changes were made around this time, including the abolition of super off-peak tickets and various price rises.[17] Around the same time, Southeastern scrapped plans to close many of its staffed ticket offices across its network.[18][19]
Upon its takeover of the franchise, Southeastern initially operated the same routes and services as its predecessor. During December 2022, a new timetable was introduced that reportedly aimed to reduce congestion, improve reliability and better match demand following the COVID-19 pandemic.[21] One year later, it was announced that Southeastern was to put on an additional 100 trains per week as a result of timetable changes based on customer feedback and travel pattern analysis across Kent, East Sussex and south-east London.[22][23]
Several parties have called for the transfer of Southeastern's metro services to Transport for London (TfL).[24] Prior to the OLR taking over operations, TfL itself had announced its intention to take over the London suburban parts of the franchise and integrate them into a wider metro network.[25][26] Officials such as the Mayor of LondonSadiq Khan have publicly supported this move.[27][28]
As of June 2024, the weekday off-peak service pattern, with frequencies in trains per hour (tph), is:[29]
London Bridge, New Cross, St Johns, Lewisham, Blackheath, Charlton, Woolwich Dockyard, Woolwich Arsenal, Plumstead, Abbey Wood, Belvedere, Erith, Slade Green
At the commencement of operations, Southeastern retained the same electric multiple units as its predecessor. It promptly launched a refurbishment programme covering most of its existing rolling stock; £27 million alone was allocated to the refurbishment of its 29 Class 395 Javelin high-speed trains.[42][43] By May 2023, Southeastern had reportedly completed work on half of its 112-strong Class 375 Electrostar fleet under a £10 million upgrade programme; internal changes included the addition of new USB ports, at-seat electrical sockets, LED lighting, and energy meters.[44]
The previous franchisee had finalised a leasing arrangement for the entire Class 707 fleet and was in the process of launching the type into service when the OLR took over.[45][46] Southeastern has continued this deal, thus the remainder of the 30 Class 707s shall enter service as they are released by South Western Railway.[3]
Various initiatives have been explored to improve train performance, capabilities and effectiveness. Southeastern formed a team with Siemens Mobility and Eversholt Rail to jointly develop a fully automated vehicle inspection system to inspect its vehicles; this technology, which uses numerous high sensitivity cameras and optical laser sensors, is to be first used at the operator's Ramsgate depot, and will be active from 2025.[47]
Southeastern has also examined the prospects for replacing older portions of its train fleet. In November 2022, the operator launched the process of procuring new trains via the issuing of a tender. Southeastern has sought between 350 and 640 new carriages for its services; these are projected to be introduced sometime during the mid-2020s.[48][49]
In May 2024 Southeastern issued a tender for 350 to 640 new carriages to replace the Class 465 and 466 units. CAF, Hitachi, Stadler, Siemens and Alstom are currently bidding for the tender of new fleets.[52][53]
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