News Release : 04 October 2004

ASSEMBLY SUPPORTS TRAINS EVERY 9 MINUTES FOR GATWICK AND COAST

The South East England Regional Assembly’s Planning Committee wants to see an improved rail service from London to Gatwick and the south coast with trains running every 9 minutes.

The Brighton Main Line, running from Brighton to London via Gatwick, is a key regional rail route in the recently approved Regional Transport Strategy and a priority for investment. The Brighton Main Line is under extreme pressure with congestion and poor reliability frustrating passengers at the same time as passenger numbers are increasing.

In responding to a Strategic Rail Authority consultation on the Brighton Main Line, the Assembly’s Planning Committee supports radical changes in service levels but warns this must safeguard the needs of passengers using Gatwick airport and provide services to key commuter stations between Gatwick and the south coast, such as Burgess Hill. The Strategic Rail Authority proposals include:

• Replacing the Gatwick Express with more trains from Victoria to Gatwick and onwards to coastal towns;
• Increasing the number of seats for commuters on both north and south of Gatwick;
• Improving punctuality and establish faster journey times to the coast by not splitting and joining trains at Haywards Heath;
• More flexible use of dedicated Gatwick Express platforms to increase capacity;
• An all day hourly service to Uckfield from London Bridge.

Cllr Keith Mitchell, Chairman of the South East England Regional Assembly’s Planning Committee said: “We accept in principle that overall improvements to the services between London and Brighton should take priority over the dedicated Gatwick Express service. We could gain a significantly improved train system with more trains per hour. But the Strategic Rail Authority must ensure that the users of Gatwick airport are also provided with a service that recognises and provides for their needs, which are distinctive and different to those of commuters.”

Contact

Lesley van Dijk, PR Executive - 01483 555223

Heather Bolton, PR Executive - 01483 555221

Notes to editors:

1. More information in the 29 September Regional Planning Committee documents.
2. The Regional Assembly is the “voluntary regional chamber” for the South East. It was established in January 1999 to give a representative voice to the South East region which covers Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, East and West Sussex, Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Kent, Oxfordshire, and Surrey.
3. The Assembly is made up of 111 members including elected councillors nominated by the region’s local authorities and 37 representatives from other sectors of the community (including business, trades unions, education, housing, health, sports, culture, tourism, faith groups, environmental, community and voluntary organisations).
4. The Assembly has three areas of core business:
1. It is the representative voice of the South East, engaging and representing its member organisations and, through them, the wider public.
2. The Assembly has a specific role under the Regional Development Agencies' Act 1998 to ensure the accountability of the South East England Development Agency (SEEDA) to the region.
3. The Assembly has been the Regional Planning Body for the South East since April 2001. It has responsibility for proposing strategic planning and transport policies to Government.

Last updated: 21 August 2007