We need 12 coach trains to help with social distancing

Martin Wellings from PST Travel is right about 30 years ago in his article (Printed edition of the Eastbourne Herald, May 29) on the aviation industry.

I spent my formative years at a boarding school at Seaford and in the 1971 started going home at the weekend by train as I lived in Horley, the other side of Gatwick Airport.

It’s because of an old school friend that I moved to Eastbourne. We used to be taken to the station by minibus to catch the 15.50. I then changed at Lewes and connected with 25 past the hour Victoria service that used to consist of 12 coaches.

It was a five stop service as it stopped at Haywards Heath and then only stopped at East Croydon and Victoria. There used to be buffet car in the middle of the train.

One of the reasons why we do not have an express service is the development of Gatwick. An agreement was made with BAA (British Airports Authority) and West Sussex County Council that a second runway would not be built until 2019.

So the airport developed so Gatwick was included as an additional stop. Another reason is the development of Thameslink. After privatisation Connex South Central the company that won the franchise combined the Hove and Shoreham service with Eastbourne and Hastings, hence the splitting of the carriages at Haywards Haywards Heath as at present. To help with social distancing Southern should provide 12 coach trains.