The government has launched a consultation on what it wants from the next rail operator to take the Southeastern franchise covering most of Kent.

Ministers are inviting the public to share their views on their hopes for the next train company running services across the county.

The contract for the present operator, Southeastern, is scheduled to end in June 2018 but the Department for Transport has proposed giving the firm an extension until December 2018.

This is to minimise disruption as the train network gets to grips with the £6 billion Thameslink programme – involving the re-building of London Bridge station – and work on the Crossrail scheme.

Southeastern, which has been the operator for most of Kent since 2006, was awarded a new franchise in September 2014 partly on the condition that it met tougher targets for services.

It handles 640,000 passenger journeys on 1,900 train services every weekday.

The Government said its ambitions for the next operator include:

• running longer trains and upgrading or replacing older trains
• increasing reliability and reducing delays
• improving compensations arrangements with a simple automated system
• introduction of a smarter payment system, including mobile phones
• improving customer service

Transport Secretary Chris Grayling said: “Passengers on a new franchise from 2018 will enjoy modern trains with more space and a more punctual and reliable service.

“This consultation sets out what we expect the next operator to deliver for passengers, including working more closely with Network Rail to ensure a focus on performance, and innovative use of technology to improve both ticket buying and compensation if things do go wrong.”

Kent County Council transport chief Cllr Matthew Balfour said: “We welcome this consultation by DfT and would encourage everyone who uses the rail service in Kent to take part.

“This consultation will help Kent County Council to ensure the best rail service for all passengers using the new franchise.”

Medway Council’s front line services chief Cllr Phil Filmer said: “South Eastern is a major transport provider for Medway and thousands of our residents use the service every day.

“It’s therefore important that people living in Medway have their say on how their journeys could be improved and what sort of changes they’d like to see.”

The consultation will run for 10 weeks and closes on Tuesday, May 23.

To take part click here.

There will be a series of public consultation events in Kent on the future train operator for the Southeastern franchise.

These will take place at:

• Station concourse, Sevenoaks, on Monday, April 10 from 4pm to 7pm
• County Hall, Maidstone, on Tuesday, April 11 from 4.30pm to 7pm
• Civic Centre, Gravesend, on Tuesday, May 9, from 4pm to 7pm
• Westgate Hall, Canterbury, on Wednesday, May 10 from 4pm to 7pm

Other events take place in London. Details here.

Network Rail has also launched a consultation about its Kent area route study, which contains suggestions for improvements to the tracks in the South East to cope with growing demand over the next 30 years.

Passenger numbers on railway lines connecting London with the county are forecast to rise by 47% by 2044 – and a massive 127% on high speed trains to and from St Pancras International.

A spokesman at Southeastern said: “We’re focused on delivering our current franchise and will continue to invest over £70 million in improvements in the areas that matter most to our passengers.

“Our recent national rail passenger survey customer satisfaction scores have risen, reflecting that passengers are noticing the improvements being made but we know there is still more work to do and we will continue to work with Network Rail to improve the experience passengers have when travelling with us."