Commuters in Maidstone and Malling must have reliable, frequent, and affordable train services. This is an issue I am regularly contacted about by constituents, particularly given the scale of housing development in and around the Hermitage Lane area.
I’m pleased to share that from 17 May 2026, there will be additional peak-time services between Maidstone East and London Blackfriars — including a new 06:52 Maidstone East to Blackfriars service and a 17:44 Blackfriars to Maidstone East return.
There will also be extra weekday services on the Victoria–Ashford route via Maidstone East, including the 09:25 and 10:25 Victoria to Ashford and the 10:28 Ashford to Victoria. All of these additional services will call at West Malling, East Malling, Barming and Maidstone East.
In addition, Maidstone East station will receive a deep clean and a fresh coat of paint to improve the overall passenger experience. This investment in better services and facilities is welcome news, and I will continue to press Southeastern for further improvements for our area.
