New Welwyn-Sevenoaks service begins

Secretary of State for Transport and Welwyn Hatfield MP Grant Shapps joined passengers at Welwyn Garden City station on May 16, to welcome the start of a new Thameslink service between the Hertfordshire town and Sevenoaks in Kent.

The new route, which runs every 30 minutes during weekday peak times, has been created by reinstating Welwyn-London trains that were suspended in March 2020 and linking them (via St Pancras International) to BlackfriarsSevenoaks services.

It provides an additional 2,600 seats into London each day and forms the first ever direct route across central London from Finsbury Park to Elephant & Castle.

“Faster, more frequent services are what we all need. As our recovery from the pandemic continues, this cross-London route will be vital in helping thousands of people travel across the region each day,” said Shapps.