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Leing 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 to and from 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 to or from 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.


Short cut for charity cash


THIS 10-year-old has plenty to be proud of after raising more than £800 for charity. Bethan Koehler-Price, from Hollingbourne, walked 20 miles along the


Pilgrims Way for Children in Need and has had her long hair cut off for charity. After her walk raised


£236 Bethan wanted a bigger challenge. In- spired by a family friend and a television report, she had her hair cut off to provide a wig for chil- dren recovering from chemotherapy. Bethan


visited


Sweeney Todd’s barbers in Lenham for the spon- sored crop by Tracey Smith, with whom she is pictured. Her hair has now been sent to The Little Princess Trust Charity. As well as donations from friends and family, Bethan raised almost


£200 when she was guest of honour at The Dirty Habit pub in Holling- bourne for its annual Hat Night. The money Bethan has raised will be shared between Children in Need and The Little Princess Trust.


Beetroot trial for lung disease


PATIENTS suffering from lung disease at Maidstone Hospital are taking part in a ground-breaking trial to discover the benefits of beetroot. The trial is being led by London’s Royal Brompton Hospital – the


largest specialist heart and lung centre in Britain. Evidence seems to sug- gest that drinking beetroot juice, with its high levels of nitrates, can en- hance blood oxygenation levels, reducing breathlessness and fatigue. About 150 patients are being given 140ml of beetroot juice once aweek


for twomonths to assess the impact. Dr Syed Husain is leading the tri- als for the Maidstone and TunbridgeWells Trust.


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