HC Deb 05 December 1945 vol 416 c2486W
Mr. Garry Allighan

asked the Minister of War Transport if he will have the rail service to Gravesend overhauled, with a view to providing through trains in the peak hours, thus relieving the overcrowding caused by the Gravesend trains being used by passengers to Dartford, which is already served by fast trains running no further than that station.

Mr. Barnes

Between London and Gravesend during peak hours there is one fast train less in each direction than before the war. The trains terminating at Dartford stop at all stations and are heavily loaded. If the fast trains to and from Gravesend did not stop at Dartford it would be a serious loss of facilities for Dartford passengers which could not be made good by the provision of new fast services between London and Dartford unless the slow services were correspondingly reduced. The Southern Railway hope to be able to restore the full prewar service next summer.