RAIL chiefs have denied reports suggesting thousands of Kent commuters could miss out on the benefits of the new Channel Tunnel rail link.

The Strategic Rail Authority said it had yet to make any recommendations about what domestic services will run on the 68-mile link, amid rumours that it has already ruled out the option of including Medway, Thanet and large parts of mid Kent.

It was responding to claims by Kent and Medway council leaders that they had confidential information the SRA will shortly announce it favours its original recommendation of a core service concentrating primarily on services between Folkstone, Ashford and Gravesend.

At £205million the core recommendation is the cheapest of the six options outlined by the SRA earlier this year.

Although journey times on these routes in and out of London would be cut by a third, commuters elsewhere would have to rely on existing domestic services.

Cllr Richard King (Con) of Kent County Council’s Strategic Planning Policy and Overview Committee, said he was dismayed at the rumours.

"It is totally unacceptable that in the 21st century it takes less time to reach York from London than it does to get to Ramsgate. Kent would have been totally cheated."

Medway Council leader Rodney Chambers declined to say where the information had come from but said the SRA recommendations "flew in the face" of the Government’s regeneration plans for the Thames Gateway.

"Our commuters deserve better. This area generates eight million passenger journeys a year. For far too long commuters have had to put up with a third-rate service,” he said.

A spokesman for the SRA said no recommendations had yet been made to ministers and officials were still sifting through responses to the public consultation.

“We have no idea what Kent and Medway are talking about. We have got no announcement to make this week or next week. We are still finishing work on the six options we consulted on and will in due course put a case to ministers, who will then decide,” he said.

The five other options under consideration are Mid Kent, with services stopping at Maidstone; Medway (partial) and Medway (full); Thanet towns via Medway and Thanet towns via Cantebury.