Connex was stripped of its franchise in June 2003

Strategic Rail Authority proposals could see the loss of rural services, to improve busier commuter routes.

Proposals include cuts to services between Aylesford and Snodland, between West Malling and London, and on the Strood to Paddock Wood line.

Tim Nicholson, chairman of the Rail Passengers Committee for Southern England, said: "Someone somewhere is probably going to lose."

Passengers have called out for long enough for a decent rail service Tim Nicholson Rail Passengers Committee

He said: "The chances of getting more money from what we now have are extremely slim, which is a real constraint, but we have to find ways to run this network better than it is run now.

"There are some new assets - we have a new, high-speed line and a mix of high-speed and classic services - but some new ideas are overdue."

He said that while some passengers in east or west Kent could find their services improved, the people in the middle or on less-used stations appeared to be facing "a reduced service".

"Passengers have called out for long enough for a decent rail service," he said.

"We have an opportunity now with a new Kent franchise to look at the way we might do that."

Proposed rail service changes Cutting peak services between Aylesford and Snodland by half Axing the off-peak service from West Malling to London Halving the number of trains between Strood and Paddock Wood

Four companies have been picked to bid for the south east franchise which is to provide services to Kent, south east London and parts of Sussex from early 2005.

DSB (Danish State Railways), GNER Holdings Ltd, First Kent Integrated Railways Ltd and London South Eastern Railway Ltd are bidding for the Kent franchise.

The SRA stripped French firm Connex of the service in June 2003, because of poor financial management.

Since then, the SRA has run the network via a wholly-owned subsidiary, South Eastern Trains.