South East rail services increase as passengers return

Rail firms are increasing capacity on trains as pupils return to school and commuters head back to offices following the easing of coronavirus restrictions.

Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) is reinstating 1,000 trains a week and Southeastern is introducing new trains.

Network Rail said it had spent £1.8bn on improvements in the past 18 months.

The company's managing director for the South, John Halsall, said some coronavirus measures would remain.

Ms Halsall said Network Rail had been working to keep people safe with enhanced cleaning and new one-way systems to avoid crowding, adding: "We're asking passengers to continue to wear face coverings in crowded spaces out of respect to others."

He said the company had invested more than £660m in Kent routes, including upgrades to Sandwich and Canterbury East railway stations.

A new station at Thanet Parkway is also under way.

GTR, which runs Southern rail, will change its weekday timetable from 6 September, while Southeastern implements changes on 12 September.

Southeastern said it would introduce more frequent services and longer trains on many routes, including eight trains per hour on the Bexleyheath and Sidcup lines during peak hours.

Class 707 trains, which are new to Southeastern, will be introduced on some London routes.

Scott Brightwell, train services director for Southeastern said: "We'll continue to review our passenger numbers and we'll adjust train lengths and times where necessary."

On the Southern service, the hourly Uckfield to London Bridge service will run half-hourly between 06:33 and 07:33 BST to support peak-time and school travel.