Southern trains to serve Bognor for at least six more years

Train operator Govia, which runs the service, has been granted a new franchise by the government.

It will last from September 2009 to July 2015, with the option of a further two years.

The news, coupled with a major assessment of Sussex rail users, means improvements for passengers.

But they will have to wait to see the benefits of longer trains between Chichester and Brighton, fewer delays between Bognor/Barnham and London Victoria with new signalling around Horsham enabling slightly faster journeys and a bigger car park at Barnham.

Trevor Tupper, the membership secretary of the West Sussex Rail Users' Association, said: "Overall, it's good news that Southern will carry on running the trains in this area."

Improvements which Mr Tupper said his group would be seeking from Southern would be better facilities at smaller stations, changes to Arun Valley services at peak times to help passengers just north of Horsham and extra coaches on the West Coastway service between Brighton and Chichester.

"In peak times, people are having to stand all the way from Worthing to Chichester.

"It may not be that far but it's a right pain if you have got shopping," he said.

The separate Sussex rail utilisation strategy, recently issued by Network Rail, details how changes should benefit passengers from the Bognor and Barnham areas.

The draft strategy covers the period between 2009-2019 and says peak-time services between Chichester and Brighton should all be four carriages long.

Four of the six Southern trains in the hour each morning and evening have only three carriages.

A two-carriage evening diesel service should also be doubled in length.

"Current crowding on services into Chichester is limited to two or three services in each of the peaks, but growth has been significant in recent years and interventions will need to be considered with several services experiencing congestion.

"There appears to be a good case to deliver around ten per cent additional capacity in and out of Brighton during the peak," the strategy states.

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