Why it's going to change on Southern trains

The Department for Transport consultation for a new franchise for South West trains began in November, 2005.

Specified was the withdrawal of the Brighton to Basingstoke/Reading trains as it was alleged that they were used only for local trips and not for journeys end to end.

Withdrawal was to be "offset" with a new service structure operating on the Brighton -Southampton corridor.

Were rail passengers using Shoreham and Worthing aware that this withdrawal was planned?

Did the local authorities complain about it?

If there were any complaints, they were ignored and the trains will be withdrawn in December.

What Southern now plans for December is a complete change of pattern of through and connecting services.

It would be pointless to describe the weekend services since they are so frequently disrupted by engineering works, but the day-time services on Mondays to Fridays will be significantly changed.

WORTHING and SHOREHAM, besides losing the Brighton to Basingstoke/Reading through trains, will gain little.

The two trains an hour from London will both go on to Littlehampton but there will be one through train an hour to Southampton starting from Brighton instead of London as at present.

The train service from London will not be increased or accelerated since changes to the Brighton main line are not part of the restructuring.

The net effect will be that there will be only one instead of two through trains an hour to Fareham and beyond.

EAST WORTHING, FISHERSGATE and ALDRINGTON will lose a third of their trains with only two an hour in each direction instead of three.

LITTLEHAMPTON will no longer have through trains to Bognor Regis or Brighton but there will two an hour to London via Hove and a service once an hour to Portsmouth.

BARNHAM and CHICHESTER fare much better with two direct trains an hour to Southampton instead of one.

Although they will have only two instead of three trains from London an hour, both will divide at Horsham with one portion running fast to Barnham, thus giving shorter journey times.

Only when the new service starts running in December will it be seen if the pattern and frequency are sustainable and the much-heralded "connections" actually work.

What is certain is that there will no replacement for the loss of the South West through service.

A change at Fareham rather than Southampton and another at Basingstoke, will be needed to reach Reading, inevitably greatly extending journey times.

The Department for Transport and the train operating companies do not seem to appreciate the convenience of through trains.

"Connections", that is, changes of train, are in practice inconvenient for all and troublesome for the elderly, the disabled and any with heavy luggage.

Looking at through services from Worthing and Shoreham, and other services which could once be accessed by a single change of train, lost over the last few years have been the London Victoria to Bournemouth trains (cut back to Southampton), regular services from Littlehampton to Lewes and Seaford (now all change at Brighton), Basingstoke to Norwich (withdrawn completely) and Brighton to Northampton and Rugby (cut back to Watford Junction).

Imminent are the withdrawal not only of the South West trains from Brighton to Basingstoke/Reading but also all cross-country trains from Brighton and Gatwick Airport.

Having seen off South West Trains by December, Southern will have a virtual monopoly over services from Brighton to Havant.

Only the little two-coach First Great Western trains will intrude twice a day '“but for how much longer?

Familiar with changing trains? You will be by the end of the year.

What do you think?

Were you aware of these changes?

Do you have a view?

Leave your comment here.