A £4.1m investment in routes from the south coast to the capital will see more track maintenance staff stationed in Brighton and Croydon to fix problems.
The funding, which will be spent in part on improving the reliability of the Brighton main line, is being spent by Network Rail in place of a £2m fine for reliability and punctuality issues affecting Thameslink and Southern train services last year.
The money will be used to station more staff at Brighton and Croydon to tackle track problems as they arise, increase patrols in Sussex to stop trespassers causing delays, and improving passenger display boards.
The news was welcomed by city MPs. Hove MP Peter Kyle said: “The city’s long suffering commuters have endured a nightmare year on the Brighton main line – it’s crucial that this new plan delivers real improvements for passengers and succeeds where previous efforts have failed and I will continue to keep up the pressure on Network Rail, Southern and the Department for Transport to come good on these promises.”
And Brighton Kemptown Simon Kirby said: “As a regular user of the Brighton to London line, I am well aware of the shortcomings of the service and the problems with lateness and cancellations that commuters have to deal with on an almost daily basis.
“It is right that train companies should have to pay penalties for missing pre-agreed targets and I am very pleased that in this case the money is being used to fund improvements to passenger journeys.”
