UK: Govia Thameslink Railway is seeking public feedback on a redesign of the timetable for Southern-branded West Coastway services between Southampton, Portsmouth, Brighton and London via Gatwick Airport from next year.
GTR said the aim is to provide more evenly-spaced departure times, increase capacity where demand is greatest and improve reliability by removing short turn-round times.
Half-hourly London via Horsham trains would serve Portsmouth only, rather alternating between Portsmouth and Southampton, and would be extended from Portsmouth & Southsea to Portsmouth Harbour.
Brighton trains would run to Southampton only, with passengers travelling between Southampton and Gatwick Airport changing at Barnham.
There would be a new half-hourly all-stations Brighton to Chichester service via Littlehampton. The hourly all-stations Littlehampton to Portsmouth & Southsea service will be removed, with smaller stations between Portsmouth and Chichester then divided between the two Portsmouth Harbour to London Victoria services; one train would serve Fishbourne, Nutbourne and Warblington, the serving Bosham and Bedhampton.
The proposals build on this year’s redesign of the East Coastway timetable for services east of Brighton.
‘We’re confident that the reliability and capacity improvements these proposals are designed to achieve would benefit passengers on local and longer-distance journeys across the West Coastway’, said GTR Customer Service Director Jenny Saunders on August 9. ‘It is now important that we hear the views of the public so we can make sure these proposals improve services for our passengers.’
Comments are invited by September 27.
