Local MP Norman Baker has secured a promise from Lord Adonis, the Secretary of State for Transport, that his department will begin talks with Southern in order to improve services for passengers from the Lewes and Eastbourne areas.
The promise follows an exchange of letters and a bilateral meeting between the Lewes MP and the Transport Secretary. Norman told the minister of the unhappiness within his constituency following the changes to the timetable last December. In particular, Norman expressed his concerns about the reduction in the number of carriages travelling to Lewes and Eastbourne during the evening peak, as well as the problems caused by the increase in the number of services to Brighton. Both of these problems have arisen as a result of the changes made to the timetables in December 2008 in order to accommodate Gatwick Express services being extended down to Brighton.
The MP, who is also the Lib Dem Shadow Transport Secretary, also pressed again for reductions in journey times for trains from his constituency to London.
In response, Lord Adonis promised that his department would investigate remedies for the problems on the service from London to Lewes and beyond, as well as re-examining the usage of the Brighton Main Line. Originally, it looked as though commuters from the South Coast areas outside of Brighton would have had to wait until the new round of franchise agreements in 2015 in order to have their concerns addressed.
Speaking on the issue, Norman said: "I do not see why my constituents and others along the South Coast should have to wait a further six years before anything is done to remedy the problems which need not have been created in the first place.
"I believe that as a very minimum, the reduction in the number of carriages on the evening peak services to Lewes and Eastbourne that occurred as a consequence of the December 2008 timetable should be remedied without delay.
"I am grateful that the Secretary of State has decided to take this issue seriously and has begun to take action on the matter."
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East Sussex,
BN7 2LJ.
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