THERE is no sense of urgency among rail planners to push ahead with local express trains on new rail lines when the Channel Tunnel link opens.

That's the view of Sandy Bruce Lockhart, the County Council's leader, after his meeting with members of the Strategic Rail Authority last week.

He told councillors and businessmen on Monday that he was really concerned that the European rail services through Ebbsfleet would start in 2007 without the long-promised super-commuter expresses to St Pancras.

"There was a presentation to the Medway Kent Partnership by the Strategic Rail Authority," he told the Thames Gateway Kent Partnership, meeting in Gravesend.

"They had no sense of the urgency to appoint people to run the Channel Tunnel Rail Link services, let alone to order the trains and get the show on the road."

He told the Partnership - which represents the business community and all the local authorities between Swale and Dartford - that they needed to press very hard for the improved services.

"Otherwise 2007 will be here, and there will be nothing to show for it," he said.