Southeastern trips to Kent Coast from Woolwich line due this summer
Direct morning trains are returning from the Woolwich line to the Kent coast this summer.
From Monday 29th July until Friday 30th August a direct service will run from Cannon Street to Whitstable, Herne Bay, Margate, Broadstairs & Ramsgate.
This allows people to transfer using the Elizabeth line at Abbey Wood for onward travel.
The 09:03 Cannon St to Dartford service is being extended to Ramsgate and will call at Greenhithe (10:28), Gravesend (10:36), Strood (10:46), Rochester (10:49), Chatham (1:053), Gillingham (10:57), Rainham (11:02), Sittingbourne (11:10), Faversham (11:21), Whitstable (11:30), Herne Bay (11:37), Margate (11:50), Broadstairs (11:58) & Ramsgate (12:06).
While initially the services will run via Deptford and Greenwich this changes to via Lewisham when tunnel work completes on 12th August.
On Saturdays, two direct services will run from Cannon Street to Ramsgate calling at Whitstable, Herne Bay, Broadstairs and Ramsgate.
Return
Unfortunately no return service appears to be running so a change is required in Medway for Thameslink towards south east London.
Unfortunately Thameslink doesn’t stop at stations such as Erith, Belvedere and Woolwich Dockyard.
Southeastern state: “There are plenty of great destinations across our network and extra direct services will make it even easier for customers in south-east London to explore the Kent coast this summer.
“These additional services follow the recent introduction of a new timetable which has improved spacing between trains on our Metro routes to provide a more regular and reliable service.”
The old Margate run in a slam-door carriage was an affordable treat for my family in the early 80s, and I’m pleased to see that it still survives in some form.