Latest on our rail service

Timetable changes have taken place between Brighton and Ashford International and to a lesser extent, between Brighton and Littlehampton. This, alongside more modern trains will help deliver an improved service, delivered with the input of rail user groups to help make services better for passengers, especially during the summer holidays.

Features of the new timetable design include:

1. A new off-peak Brighton to Eastbourne service, which together with connections between trains is designed to offer more options for journeys between Brighton, Eastbourne and Hastings.
2. Clock-face scheduling, where train times repeat each hour, and even intervals between trains to make trains easier to use and timings easier to plan around.
3. Journey time improvements for journeys between towns and cities along the coast such as between Brighton and Eastbourne.
4. Improvements to Marshlink services with more reliable connections at Ashford International and the introduction of hourly services at Three Oaks and Winchelsea.
5. Increased peak time services between Brighton and West Worthing with four, rather than two services per hour, matching Brighton to Lewes frequencies.

There are however some trade-offs involved to make these positive changes for the majority of passengers possible. For example, the Saturday timetable which is unique in currently having two Brighton to Hastings direct services per hour will be replaced by the new set-up for weekdays with one direct and one indirect journey per hour.

Similarly, Brighton to Lewes will change from three services per hour off-peak / five per hour peak, to four per hour at all times. This change has enabled Brighton to Worthing peak frequency to increase from two to four trains per hour.

To create space for more customers such as in the Tulse Hill and Streatham areas, the following changes are taking place:

• Two additional eight carriage services will depart Streatham Hill at 07:50 and 08:20 to London Bridge via Tulse Hill.
• Beckenham Junction- and East Croydon services to London Bridge via Tulse Hill will run with six rather than four carriages.
• East Croydon to Watford Junction / Hemel Hempstead services will now run with five rather than four carriages.

The first two changes together will increase capacity by 60% in the morning peak on trains to London Bridge via Tulse Hill.

To help support these changes, based on a review of passenger numbers across the week:

• London Bridge to London Victoria and West Croydon to London Victoria services will predominantly run with eight carriages, with ten carriages at busier times.
• Epsom to London Bridge services will run as today with ten carriages during busy hours, reducing to four or five carriages off-peak.

Based on a review of passenger numbers across the week, the following three changes are taking place Monday-Saturday:

• Between approximately 19:30-21:30, frequency between Luton and Bedford will be two, rather than four trains per hour. Frequency after 21:30 will be four trains per hour to support late night journeys home.
• After the 18:43 departure from St Pancras International, all subsequent Rainham to Luton services will run between Rainham and Kentish Town only
• The 03:15 Three Bridges to Bedford service will no longer run. The 02:53 Bedford to Brighton service will run only in the Gatwick Airport to Brighton section. This will mean cross-London frequency is hourly, rather than half-hourly between approximately 03:30 and 04:30

The reason these changes are taking place is because of relatively low passenger numbers. For example, north of Luton, in the context of the availability of faster EMR services to Bedford, it is rare for trains to be above 5-10% of capacity after 20:00.

Following customer requests an additional late evening weekday service will depart London Victoria at 22:50 to support late journeys home. In addition, a 10:36 service will depart East Grinstead to provide more options in the morning.

To make these changes, Sunday frequencies will be reduced from half-hourly to hourly before 10:00 and after 20:00 when passenger numbers are low, to use these resources on the weekday service.

In response to requests from passenger groups and local businesses, the following changes are taking place:

• Cambridge to King’s Cross stopping services will call additionally at Alexandra Palace to provide additional capacity at peak times and to provide direct links for hospitality events. Trains have been retimed to provide slightly faster journey times away from London.
• Most GN Metro services to and from Moorgate have had small timing changes, this is so during the off-peak the services will now create an evenly spaced four train per hour service between Alexandra Palace and Moorgate to make services easier to use.
• Changes to off-peak Cambridge to King’s Cross stopping services have taken place to change arrival / departure times at Cambridge and to enable additional evening services to run.