Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to (a) reduce times, (b) increase capacity and (c) increase the reliability of rail journeys between Eastbourne and (i) Gatwick Airport, (ii) Brighton and (iii) London; and if he will make a statement.

A significant and wide ranging time table change will be implemented on the Brighton Main Line in December 2015. This is intended to improve service reliability and resilience for customers across Sussex, including Eastbourne customers travelling to/ from Gatwick and London. There are likely to be secondary benefits for the Coast Way East service between Brighton and Eastbourne.

As part of the £6.5bn Thameslink programme, the Government is making investments to improve the reliability and capacity of the Brighton Main Line. In the medium to longer term, a range of major infrastructure upgrades have been proposed by the rail industry to further improve reliability of the Brighton Main Line. These proposals are currently undergoing detailed development, with a view to Ministers considering the case for their implementation in the next 5 year railway funding period, which starts in 2019. Again, these upgrades would benefit customers across Sussex, including those in Eastbourne.