COMMUTERS from Reigate and Redhill have been promised more services, seats and faster journeys by new franchisee Govia Thameslink.
The train operator was awarded the franchise by the Government last week and hopes to improve services to London on its new fleet of "state-of-the-art" electric trains.
The deal also means better connections to Gatwick Airport, they have promised.
The seven-year franchise will replace First Capital Connect services from September and will incorporate the South Central franchise – operated as Southern and Gatwick Express – when it expires in July 2015.
A small number of services will also transfer from the Southeastern franchise by December this year.
Rail minister Stephen Hammond said the deal is part of a plan to create a "world class railway".
He commented: "That's great news for businesses and the hundreds of thousands of passengers who use these vital services every day."
Govia say services will improve for passengers along the Redhill route including Horsham, Reigate, Tonbridge, Purley, Norwood Junction, Clapham Junction, London Victoria and London Bridge.
New off-peak services calling at Redhill, Merstham, Coulsdon South and Purley will be brought in from December 2015.
Other planned improvements include boosting capacity, more reliable journeys, a reduction in journey times in off-peak services from Reigate to London Bridge, and four trains per hour on the Thameslink network.
Nearly 1,400 new electric carriages will be rolled out across the new franchise, providing 10,000 extra seats every weekday into central London during the morning peak by the end of 2018.
This includes a fleet of 108 carriages for the Gatwick Express service, replacing the current 25-year-old trains.
Gatwick CEO Stewart Wingate said: "This announcement means that significantly more passengers will be able to access the airport from London and across the UK by train, more often and in much greater comfort.
"Combined, the transformational improvements planned on rail services running through Gatwick will see capacity doubled by 2018, and nearly tripled by 2035. This will be achieved by new, longer trains and adds yet more weight to the obvious case for building a new runway at Gatwick."
Govia says it also plans to invest millions of pounds in improving stations and staffing, a simplified ticketing structure, and meeting tough new targets to improve punctuality and cleanliness.
Stations could be improved by providing wi-fi, better retail and catering facilities and customer information systems.
