by business editor Trevor Sturgess

Southeastern has been given a two-year extension to its franchise and unveiled a trial high-speed service between Maidstone and St Pancras International.

The new franchise, granted by the government despite passenger anger over poor service and weak communications during the winter snow, inflation-busting fare increases, and performance figures that narrowly ruled out compensation for season-ticket holders, will run until March 2014.

The operator has addressed the compensation issue by introducing a "delay, repay" scheme under which any passenger delayed by 30 minute or more can claim.

At the same time, Southeastern announced its first-ever high-speed service between Maidstone and the capital.

Three departures a day - 06.56, 07.26, 07.56 - will start at Maidstone West and use the Medway Valley line via Strood, joining the high-speed line near Ebbsfleet International.

Return journeys will depart St Pancras International at 17.14, 17.44 and 18.14. There will also be one service in the morning departing St Pancras International at 06.25 to Maidstone West.

In the evening there is one service departing at 19.13 from Maidstone West to St Pancras.

The journey time will be around 50 minutes Charles Horton, managing director said.

He added: "I'm hopeful that over the past five years, passengers have noticed improvements.

"We're now operating more services than ever before, including new high speed trains, we have invested heavily in staff training and development, and made improvements to many of our stations and trains."

But he accepted passenger claims that more needed to be done, particularly improving punctuality and providing better information during disruption.

Keith Ludeman, group chief executive of Go-Ahead and chairman of Govia, Southeastern's parent copmpany, said: "We are pleased that this important franchise, which carries over a 160 million passengers a year, will run to 2014.

"In the first five years of this franchise Southeastern has increased the number of train services operated across the region and customer satisfaction has risen."