Oldest active trains in the UK to be replaced

The current class 313 carriages date back to the 1970s, with no toilets or air conditioning on board. They will be replaced with class 377 Electrostars which will be more comfortable, including air conditioning and accessible toilets. A second member of staff will also operate on the trains.

The rail line serves the University of Sussex and Brighton and Hove Albion, as well as Newhaven and Lewes.

The class 313 was 35 years old when they were introduced, and they are the oldest rolling stock in the UK. Southern Rail hopes the upgrade will provide a more reliable and comfortable service, making it easier for people to travel by rail and reducing reliance on cars.

Southern Rail said: “We are also reconfiguring the timetable … to create new connections at stations such as Lewes and Eastbourne. Brighton to Eastbourne will increase throughout the week from two journey options per hour to four, at a much more even spacing – which should be transformative for the route.”

Maria Caulfield, MP for Lewes, had been lobbying for improvements to the service. She said: “This is welcome news for passengers on the local branch lines who have complained of not having the same level of carriage as the mainline trains for many years and I hope this change will improve local rail journeys. Thanks to GTR for listening to passengers.”

The news comes in response to a letter from the Leader of Lewes District Council, James MacCleary, to Southern Rail. He said: “It's plain to see these old trains simply aren't fit for purpose. They're run down, the seats are full of holes and there are no toilets. It's not the rail experience we should be offering in 2023.

“If we're going to ask people to get out of their cars, it's vital that we're improving public transport, not watching it get worse. Rail fares are so expensive and the government has done nothing about it. The least we could expect for our rail fares is to have modern trains.”

Watch moment pedestrian narrowly misses being hit by speeding train as they walk across tracks

Where you can see the Flying Scotsman 2023: Centenary day trips across UK railways

Brighton & Hove has the fifth worst drivers in the country, new research reveals