Boris Johnson's newly-appointed transport secretary Grant Shapps is being put under immediate pressure over a much-anticipated rail service connecting Maidstone and the capital.

Campaigners of all political colours vented their frustration when it was announced that the Thameslink route - which will see commuters from Maidstone East able to hope on quick, regular trains to London - had been pushed back by 12 months until December 2019.

The service would see trains also stopping at West Malling, Borough Green, Wrotham and Otford before travelling to popular City stations London Bridge, Blackfriars and St Pancras.

Fears were then exacerbated when it emerged the Department for Transport had asked bidders for the next south eastern rail franchise - the award of which has also been repeatedly delayed - what they would do were the Thameslink service “delayed indefinitely”, leaving many critics wondering whether it would ever materialise at all.

Former transport secretary Chris Grayling insisted on a visit to the County Town last April the project was still very much on track, and then reaffirmed that commitment in a letter to Liberal Democrat councillor Rob Bird in October.

Six months later, then-rail minister Andrew Jones failed to confirm in a question from Maidstone and the Weald MP Helen Grant that the service would be delivered by the end of the year.

Mrs Grant has now written to Mr Shapps, asking him for clarification and inviting him tot the county for "a roundtable meeting with commuters and businesses" to discuss concerns.

She wrote: "This service would be a game changer for our County Town; encouraging inward business investment and providing residents, many of whom moved here due to the promise of the service, with much needed commuter options.

"The new service is desperately required and has been long promised.

"I am very worried that a further delay would cause further uncertainty for Maidstone's commuters, undermine business confidence in our town and therefore create great consternation in our community."

Cllr Bird also wrote to Mr Shapps, saying: "This is a deeply worrying situation for Maidstone rail users who have been promised Thameslink for so long but are yet to see it introduced.

"Accordingly, I wrote to Mr Grayling in May asking him to reconfirm his earlier commitment that Thameslink will be operational by the end of December.

"Mr Grayling was unable to give me a reply. Will you do so now please?"

A petition urging action has been set up and can be viewed here.

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