Commuter trains facing the axe when new high-speed services are introduced have been saved after a government minister intervened.

Formal confirmation is expected to be issued by Southeastern Trains today (Friday)that it is to keep the peak-hour services from the Medway Towns to Cannon Street.

Last night, Jonathan Shaw, the MP for Chatham and Aylesford, said: “This is great news for all Medway commuters. I’m grateful to Southeastern for listening to local commuters.”

Mr Shaw, minister for the South East, had been pressing the company to keep the trains, ever since it was awarded the contract to run north Kent services two years ago.

He was planning to be on Chatham railway station at 7am on Friday morning to tell commuters that Southeastern has agreed to keep the service as it is.

It was threatened with closure from December, 2009.

Department for Transport train planners said the peak-hours services from Medway to Cannon Street had to go, to enable the Javelin high-speed trains to run to St Pancras.

But the train operator has re-examined its plans and decided it can keep the Cannon Street trains as well as run the 140mph trains through Strood and Ebbsfleet.

Mr Shaw added: “The Cannon Street service is an important commuter link for local people, and I challenged Southeastern to improve, and above all to keep, the service.”

Paul Clark, the Gillingham MP, was delighted. He said: “It’s very good news for commuters. It was a hard struggle, but we got there in the end.”