The CTRL Domestic services confirmed route plan is now with government ministers for ratification. A decision is now imminent and should be expected within the next two weeks. I believe that only the Core service will materialise - with perhaps a limited peak hour service to Medway (probably Rochester) and Ramsgate. Dover was and is a viable option - except of course that the new CTRL trains are barred from using the very long and narrow Shakespeare's Cliff tunnel, due to the fact that they are non-vestible ended. Hence why the service to East Kent will terminate at Folkestone Central instead. Medway is clearly a major conundrum in itself. The journey time value from Chatham to St Pancras would be negligible and I find it odd that Medway Council insist that CTRL (DS) should call at all stations within the unitary authority - thus providing an even slower service to Chatham than from Victoria. Medway Council stated that Gravesend will become a massive car park (well they would, wouldn't they?) - even though the highly respected Rail Passenger Council have completed a survey to the contrary and forwarded a report to the SRA. It was confirmed within the report, that unless CTRL (DS) provided a journey time saving of at least 25 minutes, then passengers from those towns would not use it. The only towns where such savings can genuinely occur are Ebbsfleet/ West Gravesend, Gravesend, Ashford, Canterbury, Folkestone and Dover (via a shuttle link). All the destinations are within the Core service. It looks like the SRA were correct after all. Would Medway become a backwater if the CTRL (DS) stopped short of it? Never. Huge investment into Chatham Maritme - a new university - a huge factory outlet - continual investment within Chatham town centre - 6 off peak trains serving 2 major London terminals as well as the Kent Coast - are all occuring now without the link. Ironic is it not, that Tory controlled Medway UA and Tory controlled KCC now demand that central government provide £200 million per annum extra of tax payers cash, to get the services to Medway and Thanet - the very same councillors whom supported the botched rail privatisation by the last Tory government.
Andy Clemet-Bishop, Gravesend

I live near Ashford and could potentially benefit from a faster service. I could certainly see the point of a fast service to Thanet. What worries me is that there will be a 'premium' charged and that as the same company will operate the existing service, probably represent no improvement. It would be a kind of tax for having the same quality of service as the rest of the country.
Robbie, Lydd

The simple position is that the SRA do not have the money and therefore cannot justify the spend (other than the core option) above their other priorities - it is clearly now the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (responsible for Thames Gateway) to bridge the funding gap (I would hope that we could also demand developer contributions as well) - This is still possible (and likely if Thames Gateway is to suceed).
Chris Fribbins, Medway