The new trains with WiFi, air conditioning and power points...but no toilets

Video report by ITV News Meridian's Tony Green

It has been just days since Southeastern railway hit the headlines for breaching its franchise agreement to the tune of £25million.

Now the rail operator is facing a passenger backlash over new trains on routes to Dartford and Sevenoaks.

The new City Beam trains have come under fire because although they have power points, air conditioning and WiFi, they don't have toilets.

A season ticket on these new trains is more than £3,800, but on board, passengers can't even spend a penny.

Tony Clayton, Chairman of the Sevenoaks Rail Traveller's Association said: "Air condition and bigger windows and decent wifi and good acceleration are all really important, but if you are coming home from London in the evening after a night at the pub and the station loos are shut, which they are after about 7.30pm, the loo on the train can be quite important."

The trains were built in Germany five years ago and were bought for South West Trains.

But the new company running their routes didn't want them for Windsor. Now Southeastern are taking 30 and painting them blue.

At one nursery in the region, they weren't impressed. 

One parent said: "I've got a six year old boy so if he needs to go then he needs to go, and so if I am stuck on a train and there is no toilet I don't know what I'd do."

Another said: "I think the toilet facility, on trains or on stations, you must provide one or the other and preferably both."

Watch: Parents give their thoughts on the new trains

Eddie Dempsey, the Regional Organiser of the RMT said: "You've got to remember our members want to deliver a very good service to the public they are very proud of the work they do.

"They have worked very hard throughout the pandemic and they want to make sure people are comfortable and looked after when they are travelling. This is going to put once again members of the public in conflict with frontline workers."

In a statement Southeastern said it was 'not practical' to install toilets on trains that had already been built.

It said: "The trains will be used on the shorter Metro routes rather than long distances and when they come into service we will remind passengers that there is no toilet. 

"We have toilet facilities at many of our stations and a number of trains on Metro-style routes in London don't have toilets."