Commuters complained of longer journeys as a new timetable across train services came into force - which Southeastern has hailed as a success.

The timetables have been altered following billions of pounds of investment in the rail network.

Southeastern services have changed as new Thameslink routes between Luton and the Medway Towns are introduced following the rebuild of London Bridge station.

The changes came into force yesterday, with commuters getting their first taste of the new services today.

Dartford Labour Cllr Daisy Page tweeted her frustrations about the new timetable.

She said: "Metro lines are taking longer, filling earlier, yet we are paying more this year for the service than ever.

"This timetable change which is meant to benefit commuters is already achieving the opposite.

"It is a disgrace! As a #Dartford Cllr, I shall be taking this further.

"This is the chaos caused by the new train timetable.

"With passengers paying more for this service, with longer services in cramped conditions, I’m standing up for commuters."

Last week, Tonbridge and Malling MP Tom Tugendhat admitted he was deeply concerned by changes to Southeastern's timetable, which he claimed would mean some passengers in the county have to spend an extra week a year on trains.

Mr Tugendhat met with the firm's managing director David Statham after it emerged a direct train service to London Victoria on the Maidstone East line is to be scrapped each weekday morning as the new timetable came into force.

However Southeastern said services had largely been running smoothly boasting that 93% of trains arrived at their destinations within five minutes of their scheduled arrival and 74% within 59 seconds.

Train services director Ellie Burrows said: "We know that for many passengers that it can be challenging to adapt to a new train timetable, with service schedules becoming embedded in the daily routine of many people who commute to the capital and across the south east for work.

“These changes are allowing us to introduce more services onto the Southeastern network.

"There will be more seats on Highspeed services in the morning peak, increased train frequency in places like Greenwich and Orpington, faster journeys from Gravesend and Dartford into the capital, and better connections.

"Services from Rainham will connect passengers to destinations as far north as Luton.

"Importantly, these changes will allow us to better support the local businesses and communities across London, Kent and East Sussex which depend on the railway to connect them to trade, tourism and staff, while also supporting the broader regional economy by enabling more people to travel on the network.

"For the vast majority of our passengers, the new services mean more choice and better journeys and we look forward to continuing our drive towards delivering an improved experience for all our customers on the network."

Before the timetable changes were adopted, passengers who wanted to arrive at Victoria between 8am and 9am from stations such as Lenham, Barming, and East Malling as well as Maidstone East could take three direct trains arriving at 8.23am, 8.37am, and 8.50am.

Under the changes, this will be reduced to just two direct services during the morning peak, with another train arriving at Victoria at 8.09am, though passengers on this route would have previously had to change at Bromley South.

Furthermore, the return journey during the evening rush is being brought forward by 11 minutes, which is expected to impact a number of commuters in the west of the county.