GTR to add late-night services in timetable change

Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) is adding extra late-night services to its new timetable from 18 May.

The rail firm, which operates Southern, Thameslink and Gatwick Express services in Kent, Sussex and Surrey, said it was adding in a limited number of extra trains or extra stops on the coastal services to improve connections.

It added that this will support the late-night economy as the summer season begins.

The changes mean there will be an extra late-night Southern train that will operate between London Victoria and Bognor Regis from Monday to Saturday. The service leaves Victoria at 21:35 BST and will divide at Barnham, with one portion of the train going to Portsmouth.

On Saturdays, there will an additional late night train between Littlehampton and Brighton, departing Littlehampton at 22:22 and stopping at Angmering, Worthing, Lancing, Shoreham-by-Sea, Portslade, Hove and Brighton.

On the East Coastway route between Brighton and Hastings, an additional late night service will operate from Monday to Friday.

This will depart Hastings at 22:55 and will fill the current hour-long gap between the 22:31 and 23:31 departures.

On weekdays, the 21:56 service from Brighton to Eastbourne will be extended and will now terminate at Hastings.

GTR added that more services would stop at Moulsecoomb in the mornings and evenings to improve connections to the University of Brighton.

In Surrey, the 08:11 service from London Victoria to Dorking will call additionally at Ewell East, at 08:49, to improve connections to local colleges.

On Sundays, some Southern and Gatwick Express between London and Brighton have been re-timed.

GTR said this was to "improve the punctuality of services on the route by removing potential conflicts with other services".

This timetable will be in place until mid-December, where GTR said further changes are expected.

This is expected to particularly affect routes north of London for Thameslink and Great Northern networks, with the introduction of the new East Coast Main Line timetable.

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