by political editor Paul Francis

The company that takes over the running of Kent's rail services could be forced to change the way it records train delays to account for differences between High Speed trains and so-called "classic" services.

The government has launched a consultation on the new franchise for the county's rail network, currently run by Southeastern.

The franchise will run from April 2014 until September 2020 and could see some far-reaching changes to some of the 2,058 train services a day and its 175 stations.

The performance of Southeastern has come under the spotlight amid complaints from passengers about delays and overcrowding, with some of the county's MPs urging the government to strip it of the franchise because of spiralling ticket prices and a litany of complaints about delays.

Although the company's performance is said to have improved, many contend that has been masked by the success of High Speed services, while others have deteriorated and now take longer.

Chatham and Aylesford MP Tracey Crouch said: "It is important that people who use the traditional Kent rail services see exactly how they are performing, so I welcome this.

"We have to make sure the franchise is the right one for commuters who are paying an awful lot of money for their travel."

In its consultation paper, the Department for Transport (DfT) states that performance data showing how may trains arrive on time will be published "on a more disaggregated basis" - meaning they would be separated.

The franchise will coincide with major upheaval in the train network which will work on the £6bn Thameslink programme that will involve the re-building of London Bridge station, one of the busiest interchanges, between 2015 and 2018. It also involves work on the Crossrail scheme.

The government consultation document says: "It is important that the current levels of performance are maintained and improved on where possible. This will be challenging in view of the scale of the changes taking place."

However, regular commuters may be dismayed to learn that a government guarantee that on busy trains, passengers should not have to stand for longer than 20 minutes may not be met. The government says the operator would need only to comply with that "where it can."

Secretary of State for transport Theresa Villiers said: "Before we let this franchise, we want to make sure we make the right decisions to maximise the benefits passengers get from it.

"This consultation sets out a range of standards we expect any new operator to deliver as a matter of course, including improvements to stations, rolling out smart ticketing technology, better passenger information and good levels of punctuality.

"But we also want passengers and anyone else with an interest in the railways to tell us about other ways services could be improved."

David Sidebottom, of rail users group Passenger Focus, said: "When franchises are being established it is vital the needs of passengers who use and pay for rail services are placed squarely at the heart of them.

"Our research with passengers who use Southeastern's services found that their priorities are: better value for money, more punctual and reliable services, improved service frequency, and increased seating."

Southeastern said it planned to submit a bid to continue operating the franchise through its parent company Go Ahead. The government will shortlist contenders next May.

The government has listed eight objectives for the franchise.
They include:
Supporting economic growth
Developing High Speed services to encourage jobs and economic growth in Kent
Improving "the overall passenger experience" through better services and transparency on costs and efficiency
Introduce "smart" ticketing

The new operator will be responsible for:
Metro services in and around south east London
Longer distance services to Kent and East Sussex
High Speed domestic services