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Leing train take the strain
FIGURES show a significant rise in the number of people using trains across the region. Latest statistics from the Office of
Rail and Road show sharp in- creases in journeys from and to all of the area’s stations for the year to March 2015, with only Yalding showing a dip in rail passengers. The data offers no suggestions
for the rise in rail use in our region, indicating only “local event traffic” as the possible reason for reversing the previous year’s decline at Bel- tring station – still the least used station in the area, with an average 37 commuters a day. In spite of the combined in- creases across Maidstone’s three town centre stations and at West Malling, the number of rail users still falls nearly a million short of Tonbridge station, which remains the busiest in the region, with more than four million users a year. The Estimates of Station Usage,
for all stations in Great Britain, is available on the ORR website at
www.orr.gov.uk/statistics/pub- lished-stats/station-usage-
estimates. Figures for other stations in our
region (with the previous year’s figure in brackets) include: Aylesford 115,906 (112,666) Barming 129,926 (127,656) Bearsted 396,840 (391,478) Beltring 13,502 (11,890) Headcorn 612,206 (607,386) Hollingbourne 46,554 (42,854) Lenham 108,194 (103,782) Maidstone East 1,358,356 (1,339,752) MaidstoneWest 843,268 (831,718) Maidstone Barracks 270,645 (266,938) Marden 480,498 (459,402) Staplehurst 888,016 (848,158) West Malling 782,090 (760,292) Yalding 21,604 (22,542) The estimates of station usage consist of the total numbers of peo- ple travelling from or to the station (entries and exits); and interchang- ing at the station. The figures are based on ticket
sales. Single and return tickets translate into one and two journeys respectively.
Canopy gets kids outside
A NEW canopy at the Maidstone YMCA pre-school will create fresh op- portunities for youngsters to learn outside. The cover, which cost more than £6,000, has been paid for through
fund-raising and a donation from the YMCA, which owns the building in Loose. Pre-school manager
Anne Elliott thanked staff and parents past and present for raising the money for the canopy for the pre- school, which moved to its new purpose- built premises in Mel- rose Road in 2012. She said: “This has only been possible with the support of all the parents and the pre-school and centre staff.” Fund-raising events included sponsored trike rides and trampolining in
the centre’s sports hall, a table top sale, discos and parties for the chil- dren, the sale of pre-school uniforms, recycled clothes collections, craft sales and raffles. Anne added: “The canopy means we can offer the same opportunities
for play and learning indoors and outdoors, in all weathers. Some chil- dren prefer to be outside and this will help improve their learning out- comes.We have already seen more children choosing to play outside.”
18-month ban for drink-driver A DRIVER from Linton has appeared at West Kent Magistrates court and admitted drink-driving and driving without due care and attention. Toni Todorov (31), from Redwall Lane, was stopped in Sutton Road
and gave a breath test of 68mg of alcohol in 100ml of breath. The legal limit is 35. Hewas banned from driving for 18 months and ordered to pay a £330 fine, a £150 criminal courts charge, £85 costs and a £20 victim surcharge.
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Maidstone Town February 2016 19
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