Connecting bus and train travel

Kent County Council (KCC) works in partnership with South East Trains and bus companies to better connect train and bus services.

A number of projects have been undertaken to better "integrate" public transport, allowing train passengers to easily connect to bus services and vice versa. These include:

1. Bus and rail ticketing
2. West Malling station - shuttle bus connection to Kings Hill
3. Dartford station
4. Ramsgate station

Bus and rail ticketing

One of the targets in Kent County Council's "Towards 2010" document is to make it easier for people to buy tickets and use them on both train and bus services. This is known as "through ticketing". KCC is doing its bit to support rail-bus ticketing and has set aside £150,000 for measures to promote and improve the links between buses and trains.

The nationally branded "PLUSBUS" ticket provides unlimited travel on bus services at the start and finish of the train journey within a recognised zone. The cost of the ticket is cheaper than buying bus and train tickets separately. As well as one-day tickets, commuters who travel by bus to or from the station can buy season tickets for seven days, one month, three months and a year. PLUSBUS is available at 22 stations across Kent, for more information about this scheme visit plusbus.

West Malling station for Kings Hill

West Malling station, on the Maidstone East to London line has one of the highest levels of customer growth in Kent. The station provides an important train service for commuters working at the Kings Hill Business Park and for residents commuting into London.

The West Malling-Kings Hill service (123) is subsidised by Kent County Council. The route is served by a high quality shuttle service that operates between 7am and 8pm.

The buses connect with all trains passing through West Malling, and fares are set at a level below parking charges. Customers can buy through rail-bus daily or season tickets from any station office or from the ticket machines on the station concourse.

The low floor, easy access buses were bought by Kent County Council and provide easy access for people who have difficulties getting around. The buses are also more accessible for people with pushchairs or heavy luggage.

Electronic bus shelter signs on the Kings Hill estate provide real-time information to passengers and the 123 buses have special devices known as "On Bus Units" to track their movement along the route. Workers can track the progress of their bus through a website which also gives real-time travel information.

Dartford station

A project to improve links between bus and train travel is soon to be underway at Dartford station. Dartford is one of the busiest stations in Kent and conveniently located only 50 yards from Home Gardens, where Fastrack routes and bus services run by Arriva and Transport for London provide good public transport connections to the Kent Thameside area.

However there is no information for passengers arriving at the train station who want to make their onward journey by bus or Fastrack. South Eastern trains, Kent Highway Services and the Fastrack team are working on a project to improve "rail-bus integration" through a series of direction signs, high quality display boards and a "Smartscreen" providing real time travel information about Fastrack and local bus services.

The project is unusual in that all three organisations have worked together and given funding, recognising that clear information is important to encourage people to use public transport. The project coincides with the start of the Fastrack "A" service on the 3rd June 2007, which runs every 6 minutes between Dartford, Bluewater, Greenhithe, the Bridge development and Temple Hil

Ramsgate station

Ramsgate train station has been upgraded to provide travellers with an easy change between train and bus journeys. The changes include:

• redesigning the station forecourt with clear signing and lines, pedestrian crossings and a designated taxi bay
• installing brand new bus shelters, with the option of Real Time Information signs, at the entrance to the station
• making travel and community information available through an electronic kiosk
  

The Thanet Loop bus service runs every 7-10 minutes from the station entrance providing onward travel to Ramsgate, Margate, Broadstairs, the QEQM hospital and the Westwood Cross shopping centre.