Southern confirm train boost with summer timetable
By Connor Steel
SOUTHERN RAILWAY have announced a major boost to their train passengers across Hampshire and Sussex as they released their upcoming summer timetable to start in June; which is set to feature eight main amendments alongside a hundred smaller changes that will likely impact the number of stops at both the Fareham and Portchester train stations.
These timetable changes follow a ‘three-month public engagement programme’ that was undertaken last year, in which Southern examined “hundreds of comments received from passengers / local communities before finalising these fresh changes” going forward. They said in a press release on Tuesday morning that all changes will provide faster journeys.
Changes include the route between Brighton and Southampton (stops at Fareham / Swanwick) which is currently set to run every half hour instead of every sixty minutes in both directions. This will add an ‘extra two trains’ every hour on the route and improve those travelling to connections to other parts of the South Coast / Britain during ‘peak holiday times’.
Passengers travelling from Fareham and Portchester will further see the route from London to Portsmouth (via Gatwick Airport) twice per hour, instead of a current single service. This is further due to be extended to finish at the Portsmouth Harbour station, which will allow customers to travel with ease to local Gosport / IOW ferry services and city attractions.
Frequencies of trains between Brighton, Worthing and Chichester will double to four services every hour, whilst a better link between Littlehampton to Brighton is likely to be run “all day” for the first time since 2007. Other timetable changes across the Southern network are due to be carried out, such as cutting long waits and aligning with rival train providers.
But these changes do affect other Southern routes, with the hourly Southampton to London Victoria and Littlehampton to Portsmouth & Southsea service cut. Instead passengers should then be able to change within Barnham for the new Brighton-Southampton and Brighton to Chichester via Littlehampton services respectively starting on June 3 (Monday).
These new timetables are set to be made available for closer ‘scrutiny’ on March 11, when they will appear in advance journey planners across both the Southern or National Rail Enquiries websites alongside any “potential route updates”.
PICTURED BY ALAMY (GDP431): Southern Railway have announced new timetable that affects Hampshire / Sussex.
