All aboard! New direct Eastbourne to London service benefits capital commuters

Passengers today (Monday 15 December) boarded the first train on a new, direct, rail link between Eastbourne, Lewes and London Bridge, making commutes to the City easier than ever. The train arrived in London five minutes early.

Train operator Southern (run by Govia Thameslink Railway) introduced the 06:47 service as part of the new December timetable, with one service heading to London Bridge in the morning, and another returning to Eastbourne in the evening.

The service was removed from the timetable during the pandemic but with passenger numbers rising, Southern has reinstated the train which will mean more seats for passengers travelling on the busy route.

A celebration event was held at Eastbourne station with local MP Josh Babarinde to mark the first train’s departure.

Josh Babarinde MP said: “I am delighted that our campaign to restore the direct train service between Eastbourne and London Bridge has been successful – this is a massive win for our town.

“A huge thank you to everyone who backed the campaign, both in person and online. Your support made all the difference and showed just how vital strong transport links are for our town.

“I'm incredibly grateful to Govia Thameslink Railway and Southern for their cooperation throughout this process and their help in getting Eastbourne back on track!”

The service will run termtime, Monday to Thursday, leaving Eastbourne at 06:47am and arriving at 08:25am. The return service leaves London Bridge at 17:03pm and arriving into Eastbourne at 18:35pm.

Between Eastbourne and London, the service will call at Hampden Park, Polegate, Berwick, Glynde, Lewes, Cooksbridge, Plumpton, Haywards Heath, Three Bridges and East Croydon.

Jenny Saunders, Southern’s Customer Services Director, said: “I am delighted that we’ve been able to introduce this direct service from the coast to the capital. We know this is something our customers have been calling for.

“We’re doing everything we can to encourage people back to rail, which is the most sustainable form of public transport. We want our services to get you to where you need to be comfortably and reliably.

“We think this timetable improvement will build on that success and are pleased to have worked with local stakeholders to make the case for its introduction.”

Fresh start: From left, local campaigner Dave Cooper, Josh Babarinde MP, Leader of Eastbourne Borough Council Cllr Stephen Holt, Southern's Head of Strategic Planning Phil Hutchinson and President of the Eastbourne Chamber of Commerce Russell Colbran celebrate the inaugural departure of the 06:47 Eastbourne to London Bridge service