In the Echo Comment on Monday mention was made, with regard to the airport, “speed is the keynote ...”.

Another area where this applies is rail journeys.

There is currently a golden opportunity to improve the situation on the Essex Thameside line as several companies are applying for the franchise to run it for the next 15 years.

Over the past 15 years the time taken to travel on this line has increased by as much as 25 per cent. An example is the 5.30pm train from Fenchurch Street which used to reach Benfleet in 31 minutes or less. The current time for this run is now 38 minutes.

Similar slowing down can be seen on many other services.

In awarding the new franchise it is very important c2c, Abelio, First Group and MTR are told an essential requirement will be to recast the timetable so at least five minutes are removed from the Southend/London timings.

Most rail companies strive to reduce timings especially where cities or major towns are concerned.

The trains and infrastructure on the Fenchurch Street line are robust with very few delays, so there is no good reason why the service cannot be sped up.

The main interest for rail travellers is to get to their destination as quickly as possible on a reliable service.

John Budge
Leitrim Avenue
Shoebury