Govia Thameslink Railway is consulting passengers on a major recast of its timetables from 2018, when the Thameslink programme is due to be completed.

The number of services through central London will increase which, it is claimed, will mean 80% more peak-time seats, while new direct services will operate between Brighton, Gatwick Airport and Cambridge. New Thameslink routes through London Bridge from the Medway towns are also planned, along with new trains and more frequent metro services for Great Northern.

Services currently operated by Southern from Littlehampton, Horsham and East Grinstead to London Bridge will transfer to Thameslink in 2018, continuing through central London to Bedford and Peterborough. New direct trains will run from Cambridge and Peterborough to Gatwick Airport and beyond, with additional direct services to Maidstone from Cambridge. The number of Peterborough semi-fast trains will double, as will Cambridge semi-fast and stopping off-peak services. 

  • For more on this, read RAIL 810, published on September 28.