Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the ability of GTR to introduce a fast train service from Maidstone East to London in December 2019.

The Department is committed to improving regular services between Maidstone and the City as soon as possible. The industry is currently finalising the May 2019 timetable before developing further changes, with the next being in December 2019. I will provide an update in advance of December 2019 once these changes have been finalised.